Stardom Secret
by lactose-intolerent
Summary: Mikan Sakura is a famous actress, singer and model, what happens when her agency makes her go to Alice Academy acting out her everyday life as a normal student while she also works, please review and advise me! COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters **_

' _Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggg!!!!!!!!' _

" _Aarrghh!!!" _The seventeen year-old brunette yelled. An arm came form under the covers as she smashed her alarm clock off. The sleepy brunette sat up on her bed. The sun was peeking through the curtains of her room. Mikan looked around; looking for the source of light which caught her attention. She looked at her clock,

" Damn it, it's only 6:30 am. Wait! Why am I waking up this early again?" She rubbed her chocolate colored eyes, trying too remember the reason.

" Oh yeah! I officially start school today and have to move into my dorm." Mikan sat on her bed for a moment and recalled a flashback:

_' Knock. knock' _

" _Yes, who is it? " A voice came through the door asking_

" _It's Mikan Sakura, you wanted to see me." replied the seventeen year old brunette. She was called in by the agency and wondered what the problem was, worrying that he might being talking about that again. _

" _You may come in." _

_Mikan opened the familiar door and walked into a room she knew well. As always, the office that she just entered belonged to the top executive of her agency. The room was richly colored and decorated. Expensive paintings were hung on royal blue walls, with a bookshelf to separate each painting. __At the end of the richly colored office, sat a expensive-__ looking desk with the latest computer on top. Behind the desk was a huge, comfy- looking chair, which sat the top executive. He was facing a window, allowing sunlight to bounce off every corner of the room. Mikan sat in front of the desk and awaited her boos to start talking. _

" _Miss Mikan Sakura, it has come to our concern about your future." He said, turning around. He was a powerful man in his late thirties. _

_Mikan was shocked. Usually, whenever she had an appointment with him, it was always concerning that. " Eh . . . . " was all she could say. _

" _Your private tutor told us that you're quite a genius, but we're worried because you're not around people your own age. So, we have arranged for you to attend Alice Academy. Considering the circumstances of that school, you didn't have any troubles getting in because of your mother and the results of a test." _

_Mikan snapped out of her shocked state, " Wait! what test, I didn't have a test."_

" _That's what you think, you didn't know about it because . . . . well . . . . even though you're quite smart, you wouldn't get what was going on unless it actually happened." _

" _Oh . . . . ." _

" _Now, you will be going to Alice Academy. You will stay there until you graduate, I'd pull you out sooner but unfortunately, this was not possible. You may be wondering what will happen once you enter, so I'll will explain everything to you and don't interrupt me, got it. " He said warningly. " You will go to that school under your actual name, but you will wear a disguise so no one knows who you are. There, you will attend school but will also being be full filling your career. As a cover up, these jobs will be known as missions, you will NOT describe these missions because all missions are confidential no matter who takes the mission. Along with your disguise, I want you to practice your acting skills by acting differently than you usually do, do as you see fit. The press will not know about as we have taken the necessary actions to cover this fact up. You will leave in a week from know and will move to your dorm at the academy, so start packing, a teacher from the academy will pick you up when it is time." _

_He looked at Mikan, this time he had a sad smile on his face. " This will be the last time I see you for a while but if there are any problems at the academy, you can call me straight away. I want you to enjoy yourself and become a normal child for once, it might be hard to balance out school life and celebrity life but I know you can do it, until then, sayonara." He said as she left the room. _

Mikan came back to the present. She looked around her bare room, now fully awake. She sighed as she jumped off her bed, the only thing left in the room that wasn't packed. She went into the bathroom and began to prepare. She brushed her teeth, washed her face and changed into her new school uniform. She looked in the bathroom mirror and stared at herself. She had long, shiny auburn hair, which she usually kept down. Her chocolate brown eyes were one of the many things that Mikan was secretly proud of. She sighed to herself and thought _'Guess I won't look like me for a while' _For her disguise, she tied her hair into tight pigtails. She put in blue colored contact and wore fake glasses. Even though, it didn't seem much, it changed her looks completely, she even had a hard time recognizing herself. '_Perfect!'_

Mikan walked back into her room, all her stuff was packed, except for the bed. She didn't need a bed there since she was provided with one. Her bags and boxes were already delivered to her new room. she sighed to herself as she thought about her 'acted' school life. Usually, she was a powerful, aggressive yet peppy, cheerful, smiling girl, who happened to be a genius but completely clueless about the world's most obvious things. Now, she had to become a boring, silent, reading and quite ugly ( because of her disguise) girl. She also had to refrain from smiling, since Mikan Sakura was famous for her sun blessed smile. Unless she wanted to give it away, she absolutely had to refrain from smiling, maybe she should try smirking. She sighed and tried to think positive, at least it would improve her acting.

At that moment, her phone rang. She quickly grabbed it and answered, " Hello?"

" Hihi! Miss mikan, this is the teacher from Alice Academy, I'm here to pick you up. You can come outside, I'm waiting at the front entrance" Before Mikan could reply, he hung up. '_What the hell, he sounds gay.' _

Mikan walked to her door and looked one last time around her room, she sighed opened the door and left.

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**This is the first time that I've done something like this, tell me and advise me of what you think, thnx!**

**The next one will come out soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. I'm just an innocent girl- lol. **_

Mikan walked out of the building into a sunny, blue sky. The first thing she saw was the black limo waiting for her. She saw a man with blond hair and deep, purple eyes. She was a little shocked at the fact that a limo came to pick her up since it didn't seem very 'normal'. But she quickly got over it and ran to the man waiting. They both stared at each other for a moment.

" So I'm assuming that you're the teacher that's here to pick me up to go to the Academy." Mikan started.

The man with blond hair was a little shocked as well since he was expecting Mikan Sakura to look like she walked out of a magazine. He wasn't expecting pigtails, fake glasses and color contacts. " Uh . . . yeah . . . .I'm assuming you're Mikan Sakura, w-well, w-we better g-get going." He was still in a state of shock.

" Um . . . yeah . . . are you ok?" She recognized his gay voice but for some reason he was stuttering.

Finally, he snapped back to reality, " Yeah, I'm sorry, it's just that I didn't expect your disguise to be this good. Anyways, I'm Narumi-sensei, just so you know, I'm also your homeroom teacher. Well, _Miss _Mikan, let's get going."

Narumi-sensei opened the car door, allowing Mikan to enter first. Mikan looked around her, even though it looked like an ordinary limo on the outside, it was a hell lot roomier on the inside. She took a seat opposite of her teacher. She knew that it would be a long trip. The car started to move.

" Now, Mikan-chan," He seemed happy saying her name for some reason, " There are some things I need to talk to you about. First, congratulations on your entry to Alice Academy. Second is concerning your Alice. I'm pretty sure you know that Alice academy isn't exactly a school for geniuses. It's a school for people who have reached beyond the limits of a normal human. In other words, they have powers. Now your Alice is the Nullification Alice, it can cancel out any Alice when activated and properly controlled. In the ' normal' world, this will go unnoticed but we kind of did notice so yeah. Anyways, you will go there and live your life as a student/ celebrity and at the same time train. Alice Academy has VERY tight security so even IF the press found out, they couldn't get in no matter what they tried. The third thing is this."

Narumi-sensei handed Mikan an envelope. " This contains your dorm keys, your student I.D., your classes, a school map, and a schedule of this months jobs. It's your celebrity schedule in other words. Each month, you will receive a schedule informing you of jobs. As a disguise, these are known as missions. Obviously, you can't tell anyone of these and also hide your schedule. The agency will send you choices of jobs and will grant permission for you to leave the academy for them. You will be a special star because of your test scores and 'missions'. You will receive allowance every month. I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in Alice Academy and by the way, the teachers, who will be teaching you know of your 'true' identity but has been instructed not to let it slip. The rest is up to you." Finally, he took a deep breath and continued. " Again I congratulate you on your entry and hope you will make lots of friends."

This entire time, Mikan was listening intently, trying to absorb everything her teacher just said. She listened and understood everything except one. " The executive said something of that test, what was that about? "

" Oh that! Well, it's pretty confidential but it was to see if you truly had an Alice or not."

" Oh . . . ." Was all she could reply

They rode the rest of the way in comfortable silence. Mikan was eagerly waiting to arrive at her new school.

The ride was longer than expected. By the time they got to the academy it was already nighttime. Mikan looked around, the grounds of the academy were more spacious than she thought. The limo had stopped in front of a big building with many windows. The lights inside were already turned on.

Narumi-sensei looked at Mikan, " This is where you will be staying, your room is on the top floor. Dinner will be sent up to you tonight. Your stuff is already in your room and all your clothes are in your closet. Your agency has requested certain things in your room so we have taken the necessary actions to suit your and their needs. Well, you have class tomorrow so goodnight." He waved good bye and went back into the limo. The limo drove off into the darkness leaving Mikan standing by herself.

' _sigh . . . well I guess this is it. Ok! Remember, don't smile, be the quiet type and practice your acting. ' _Mikan sighed one last time and walked to the big wooden waiting for her. She walked through the doors expecting people to stare but instead no one was there. She looked around and found a winding staircase. She walked silently to her room, not passing anyone.

Mikan used her keys and opened the door to her new room. The lights were already on. She looked around. It was actually really grand and looked like it was made just for her. She saw a little living room that was opposite the kitchen. The kitchen wasn't too big but it wasn't tiny either. She also saw a office. '_I guess this is where I'll be doing my celebrity work.'_ Inside the office, there was a huge desk with the newest model computer that sat at the end of the room. There were a few bookshelves, which was full with her books. In one side of her office was a grand piano, guitars and a drum set a mike and a sound system. Mikan smiled to herself as she tapped the walls. '_Just as I thought, the walls are soundproof. These must be the special arrangements the agency wanted for me.' _

Mikan left her office and walked into her bedroom. It was huge and much grander than her old one. The wallpaper was a light orange that faded into a light pink as it reached the floor. It looked like there was a sunset in her room. On the ceiling hung a pink crystal chandelier. The light it gave off reached every corner of her room. There was a grand window with creamy white curtains. A king sized, four poster bed and white silk canopy made her room even more fit for a princess. There were bedside tables with white lamps next to it as well. For Mikan that would be more than enough but that wasn't all. On the opposite side of her room was a huge plasma tv facing her bed. A couch sat in front of it. Mikan gasped with delight ( no idea how that's possible) and noticed a door next to her. She opened it only to find an enormous bathroom with tub and shower. On one side of the wall was a mirror. Everything inside was creamy, marble white. Mikan left her bathroom and walked back to her bedroom. She was looking for her closet. The brunette in disguise walked around her room and noticed a door. She opened it and entered, it was a huge closet. This was the one thing Mikan wasn't surprised about though. She requested that ALL her clothes be sent and since she's a celebrity, she had A LOT of clothes. She was expecting her closet to be huge. Like the rest of her room, everything was neatly put in place.

Mikan walked out of her bedroom and into the kitchen. She found a plate of hot food waiting for her. She ate her dinner in silence.

Late that evening, Mikan was rolling around on her bed trying to get to sleep. In the end, she failed miserably. She looked outside and saw the sky, clear as crystal with a shining moon welcoming her. She decided to take a walk outside.

Outside, she walked around the dorms. Since it was such a huge place, she didn't want to get lost so she stuck next to the building. Mikan breathed in the sweet cool scent of the night air. She opened her eyes to find herself staring at a nearby park. She took a risk and went there. She sat on the park bench, the wind playfully blowing her hair ( she didn't wear her disguise because she thought no one would be awake at this hour) . Suddenly, she felt a presence nearby. She turned around and saw a boy walk into the building. For some reason he was wearing a cat mask. Fortunately for her, he didn't notice her. After some time she went back to her room and climbed into bed.

' _I wonder who that was and what about that mask, what was that about? Oh well, I should sleep now, I can tell tomorrow will be tiring.' _She thought as she slowly drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face.

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**Thnx for reading and again review and advise me. The next one will come out shortly. **


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!**_

The next morning Mikan woke up earlier than usual. She even woke up before her alarm clock went off ( don't you hate when than happens, it happens to me all the time). The sun was peeking through the curtains giving a little warmth to the room. Mikan sat up on her bed and stretched. Because she went to sleep late last night, she thought she wouldn't get enough sleep but she slept like a baby.

Mikan turned off her alarm clock and darted to the washroom. She took a shower, brushed her teeth and changed. She looked on the bathroom table. On it was her disguise. Mikan sighed heavily as she looked at her true self in the mirror. _'If I could just be myself without any acting or disguises then this would be perfect. Oh well . . . . I knew this was coming and I hope I'll find some peace and quiet' _

Mikan sighed once more time and began to tie her hair into pigtails. She put on her color contacts and fake glasses and made her way to the kitchen. She knew breakfast was served downstairs but right now she didn't feel like it. She pulled out a frying pan and made herself breakfast.

Mikan finished just in time, she ran to the washroom and checked her disguise_ 'Perfect!'_ She thought, she was actually quite proud of her disguise. She grabbed her bag and keys and left her room.

Since she was still early, Mikan decided to walk to school. She thought it would be a long walk but surprisingly, it wasn't. To kill time, she walked around the school. Soon she found her way to washrooms, the library, the gym, change rooms and her classroom. She arrived at her class in time to find Narumi-sensei waiting for her.

" Ohayou Mikan-chan!!! Ready to begin your first day?" He told her sounding really, REALLY happy.

Unfortunately, Mikan just found more evidence that suggests her teacher was gay. " Y-Yeah . . . uumm . . . o-ok . . . ." She was a little freaked out.

Narumi-sensei opened the classroom door and walked in. Mikan thought to herself '_Remember! I have to act boring and quiet. Time to put my acting to the test.' _

" Ohayou minna-san! Today we will welcome a new student. I hope you make her feel welcome." Narumi signaled the new student to walk in.

Mikan walked in sheepishly, as if trying to run and hide in a corner ( I think she took her acting a bit too far). She was expecting disappointed looks from boys who expected a cute girl to walk through the door. What she saw was even more shocking. No one, and I mean no one paid attention. They weren't even looking at the teacher.

Suddenly, Narumi-sensei told her to introduce herself.

" Konnichiwa! My name is Mikan Sakura." She said this loud enough for the whole class to hear. Suddenly, all the students (with the exception of one) attentions were caught.

" Now, are there any questions for our new student? "

Immediately, all hands flew up in the air. Both Mikan and Narumi-sensei were surprised.

" Y-yes" He pointed to a girl with pink hair.

" Are you the actual Sakura Mikan, you know the celebrity one?" She asked with a lot of demand in her voice though Mikan could tell she was a friendly girl.

Mikan was speechless. She knew that she wasn't found out but she couldn't help but feel insulted. Even if she was a completely different person she didn't want to be compared especially when it makes her sound like some messed up clone.

" Yes I'm actually Mikan Sakura. And no I'm not the celebrity one. There is a possibility in this world for two people to have the same name you know. " She was trying not to sound pissed but she couldn't hide her anger completely.

The students seemed disappointed but there were still hands up. Narumi-sensei picked the next one.

" What's your star ranking?"

Narumi-sensei answered for her, " She's a top star."

This caught everyone's attention, including that one exception. All the students stared at Mikan wondering if she was really that special. Narumi-sensei decided to pick another student to kill the silence. He pointed to another one.

" Um . . . yeah . . .what's her Alice? " This time it was a guy and he made it sound like she wasn't there. Weren't these question suppose to be directed to her.

Mikan was about to answer but Narumi-sensei beat her to it, " Her Alice is the Nullification Alice."

For some reason the students seemed more shocked.

" What?! How can SHE be a top star, I mean, she's not even pretty and her Alice isn't even that special." Yelled a green haired girl. She looked like she had a seaweed perm ( take a wild guess at who it is) .

Now Mikan was going to explode. She decided to try a different approach to her acting. She was clearly angry. " Ok, first of all _permy_, as far as I know, looks don't matter in star ranking. I'm new here and even I know that and two, you're not _all that_ yourself, _PERMY_, so shut it cuz you're giving me a headache. "

Everyone was shocked that those words and attitude came out of a girl who looked like _that_. Even Narumi-sensei was shocked and Permy was left speechless.

Narumi-sensei turned to his class, " T-To answer Sumire's question, Mikan's entrance exam test scores are one of the highest in Academy history. As for her Alice, she already has great control of it and Nullification can lead to many opportunities. Not just that, Mikan has made many contributions in Japan. So if you sum it all up, she deserves to be a special star." The class finally snapped out of their state of shock and surprise only to enter a state of shock and amazement. Who knew that _that_ girl could achieve so much by the age of seventeen.

In the back of the room, our favorite brunette caught the attention of a certain guy with raven colored hair and piercing crimson eyes. He smirked. _Even though her face looks like that, I can tell she's going to be interesting. Not to mention the fact that there is still more to her than it seems.' _

" Okay! One last question!" Narumi sensei quickly pointed to a random kid.

" Yeah! . . . . what kind of contributions did you make? "

Mikan started to feel a little nervous since she wasn't prepared for this question. Fortunately, Narumi-sensei came to her rescue. "Actually, for certain reasons that is confidential but her achievements have made a difference in Japan. Now we need to assign a partner for _Miss_ Mikan Sakura. "

No one put up their hand so Narumi-sensei looked around the classroom. " Okay, Mikan's partner will be Hyuuga Natsume."

This caught EVERYONE'S attention. In the back of class, a raven-haired boy looked up at the sound of his name.

"WHAT!!! That little over-achiever is partnered with MY Natsume." It was the seaweed perm girl again.

All of a sudden, a fire started on the top of her head.

"Oi!! Who says I belong to you, I won't even go near you, you ugly hag."

Everyone turned to face an emotionless boy and a screaming Sumire. As quickly as the fire started, it extinguished itself from the top of her head. Sumire ran out of the room crying. Everyone sweatdropped.

" A-Anyways," Narumi-sensei started to say, " Mikan, your partner is Natsume and since there is an empty seat next to him, you may sit there. Natsume," He was now facing the crimson eyed boy, " You will give her a tour and help her when she needs help."

Mikan whispered something into her teacher's ear making everyone curious.

Narumi-sensei nodded, " Actually, Natsume, you won't need to give her a tour since she knows her way around this school pretty well. Either way, you will still be her partner and assist her when she needs help. "

"Tch!!! Whatever. " Was the only thing that Natsume said. Honestly, he really could care less.

Narumi spoke, " Okay then, well, you have the rest of the day off since the teachers have a meeting so enjoy yourself." He left the room.

Mikan walked to her seat. '_Obviously that Natsume boy is the hottest boy in this class but at the same time he has the worst attitude. I think there's something wrong with him. Oh well, it's none of my business and as if I'll need help. I'll revert back to my quiet self now.' _

Mikan sat down next to Natsume without even giving a hint of evidence that he was there. She took out a book and quietly read.

Natsume sat there, staring at the new student, '_This is strange. Even though she's as ugly as hell, she's different from all the other girls. No matter how ugly they are or how mean I am, every girl I've met so far had always been flocking at my heels. This one's different. It's like I'm not even here. Seems like this will get interesting.' _

Suddenly, two students made their way to Mikan. One was a boy with round glasses, while the other was a girl with emotionless amethyst eyes and raven colored hair.

The boy with the glasses started, " Konnichiwa Sakura-san. My name is Tobita Yuu, and this is Imai Hotaru. " He said while pointing to the girl, she nodded. " We are the class representatives. If you have any trouble, please come to us."

The amethyst color eyed girl spoke, " Of course, I will charge you for my services. The prices will vary depending on the situation." Everyone sweatdropped.

" Umm . . .nice to meet you, you can call me Mikan if you like." Mikan flashed a quick tiny smile and realized what she had done. _'Damn! I wasn't suppose to smile and I broke it in record time.' _

She snapped out of her thoughts when the pink haired girl came running into the classroom. She was panting while holding a magazine. " Hey!! Guess what everyone!! She threw down the magazine onto the desk and everyone gathered. Mikan went as well. She was shocked at the cover. It read:

**MIKAN SAKURA: SEEN MAKING OUT WITH RANDOM GUY **

**Pictures and details inside. **

All around her there were gasps and whispers. Some one turned the page and everyone read. There was a picture at the top of the page showing a identical imposter devouring the mouth of some unknown guy. Mikan looked for the date. It happened yesterday when she was riding to Alice Academy.

Mikan didn't know what to do. She was so mad but knew she had to keep her composure around everyone. She decided to call her agency. Since she had an alibi, she could take legal actions. She silently left the room, seething with anger. She didn't know that a pair of amethyst eyes followed her out the door.

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**Thnx for reading. Please review and advise, arigatou. I have the entire plot in my head so I'll try to type as fast as I can. I can't wait cuz it only gets better from here, and I can gauruntee it. I know that scandal seems kind of superficial but I couldn't think of anything else. Plus, personally, if a rumor like this started about me, I would be as pissed as hell.**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Warning: Will contain more swear words than before because Mikan is pissed. **_

Mikan walked out the door of her classroom. She thought no one was in the halls but since there was a teacher's meeting, there were students everywhere. No matter where the brunette turned, there were people. And to make matters worse, they were all holding a magazine or gossiping about it. Mikan decided to make her way to the rooftop so she could take out her anger.

When she arrived at the rooftop, a breeze welcomed her. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough to cool Mikan off. She looked around to see if anyone was there. She didn't see anyone. she pulled out her cell phone. The Academy let her use it on school grounds but only to call her agency.

Mikan looked around one last time, not spotting a certain amethyst eyed girl who was hiding. Mikan dialed a number.

**Meanwhile **

Everyone at the agency was going crazy. The press was calling in like crazy. The executive, himself, was frightened. Just thinking of what might Mikan Sakura will do to him when she finds out was scary enough.

The phones have rang nonstop ever since this morning, when that stupid magazine was released. Everyone at the agency could tell it was an imposter. Even if you've only seen her once and compared her to the fraud in the magazine, you could tell the difference right away. How could they make such a mistake.

All of a sudden, the phone rang in the executive's office. The executive jumped like a frightened cat and gulp. He picked up the phone.

" WHAT THE HELL IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!?!" The executive held the phone away from his ear. Yep, he was scared.

" Please, Mikan, calm down, calm down, please." He begged.

" HOW CAN I CALM DOWN. MY FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL AND ALL THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THAT STUPID FING EXCUSE OF A MAGAZINE. AND GUESS WHAT I SAW ON THE FRONT PAGE. THAT'S RIGHT! THAT FING BH OF AN IMPOSTER PRETENDING TO BE ME. THIS HAD BETTER NOT BE A SETUP FROM THE AGENCY BECAUSE IT'S JUST STUPID."

The executive gulped again. He was pretty sure that if he were standing in front of her, she would strangle him, even if he had nothing to do with. " U-Ummm . . . . you see, Mikan. This isn't a setup and I know you have an alibi. The agency is trying their best to stop this stupid scandal. We're also trying to get in touch with that magazine, Japan All Star but they won't pick up. We're doing the best we can but we can't fully stop it."

" I DON'T GIVE A ST!!! GET THROUGH OR ELSE. I'LL PERSONALLY SUE THEM TO A MILLION DOLLAR COURT IF I HAVE TO. I HAVE AN ALIBI AND WITNESS (Narumi-sensei, remember she was in the limo when the incident happened.)"

Mikan was seriously pissed and a certain raven hair girl could tell. _' So it seems like she is the actual one. Looks like I found good prey. All I need is blackmailing proof.'_ Her amethyst eyes lit up with dollar signs at the thought of this and got even bigger when Mikan mentioned "million dollar".

Mikan calmed down, but just a little. " Tell me executive."

" Y-Yes." The executive was still scared.

" How many times have you called that sty magazine?"

" P-Probably like 50 times. We've been trying to get in touch with them since this morning."

Mikan was a little surprised. She didn't think they would call so many times. "Really? Well, 50 times is a lot." Mikan smirked to herself. She just thought of the perfect plan, and it doesn't cost a penny.

" Connect me to Japan All Star's biggest rival." She commanded.

The executive was a little shocked with her command. " H-Hai!"

" You can talk as well." She commanded. All of a sudden, she heard dialing and then someone picking up the phone.

A syrupy voice answered. " Hello! This is Japan Top News, how may I help you?"

Mikan spoke, sounding as nice as possible. " Hello. My name is Mikan Sakura. I would like to speak to your chief editor, please. "

There was a moment of silence and then, " Y-Yes, I will connect you right away." She didn't have the honey in her voice anymore. Instead she sounded like another one of Mikan's fan in a state of shock. Mikan sweatdropped at the familiar tone.

She waited patiently for the line to connect. She was going to take down that Japan All Star no matter what it takes. She was so determined, she had fire in her eyes. Suddenly, she remembered that the executive was still on the line.

" When we connect to the chief editor, I will speak, Mr. Executive. I want you to be a silent witness. Do not stop me from what I am going to do plus you don't need to stop me because by tomorrow, the phone calls concerning this scandal will be gone. But first, I need you to make an appointment on a radio show. I will personally call in. Tell them it's concerning the scandal, that should get some interest. Also, tell me the phone number when you got the time set. I want to settle this by tomorrow, so call the most popular radio station in Japan. "

" H-Hai!" Was all he could reply.

All of a sudden, the line became clear and a man's voice came through the line.

" Hello! Chief Editor of Japan Top News speaking. How may I help you?" The voice sounded bored and tired like he really wanted to go home but do a great job at work.

" Hello. This is Mikan Sakura speaking. I have a story concerning the magazine Japan All Star and I thought you might be interested."

All of a sudden his tone of voice changed to wonder and interest. " M-Miss Mikan Sakura, what a pleasant surprise. If this is about that scandal that that sty magazine printed, don't worry, everyone can tell it's a fake." I think he was sucking up to her.

Mikan pretended not to notice, " Yeah . . . anyways, I was wondering if you're willing to accept a story. If you do, I can guarantee that your magazine will sell out quickly tomorrow and you can tear down Japan All Star. So, what do you say? "

" W-What do I say? I say you have a deal. It will be on the cover tomorrow. All you need to do is tell me what to write. I will personally write the article myself." He sounded like he won the lottery.

" Okay. Here I go. Write down everything I say and mean. According to a recent scandal from the magazine, Japan All Star, it said that Mikan Sakura was seen making out with some random guy. But did Japan All Star check their facts. Anyone can tell that this imposter is NOT Mikan Sakura. Indeed, the imposter herself is actually just another civilian who happens to look somewhat like the actual Mikan Sakura. She is indeed outraged by this "worthless" scandal and is planning to take legal action against the magazine. She will appear tomorrow on a radio show to clarify this scandal. Seriously what was Japan All Star doing? and how could they make such a mistake?!" She took a deep breath and paused, waiting for the scribbling over the phone to stop.

Then Mikan started again, " You may exaggerate and add things but I want to keep the main point the same. As for the radio show, it is currently being taken care of so I will have my agency take care of it. You may do what you want with the title and headline on the cover though I would suggest something that would humiliate Japan All Star as much as possible. Any questions?" Mikan was quite happy now that she took her anger out but this happiness scared the hell out of the executive (remember that he's a private witness) and the chief editor.

He sweatdropped at the tone of her voice. " I'm guessing you really hate Japan All Star now for smearing your good name, huh? "

Mikan replied, " It's not just my name. I've always had a problem against Japan All Star because it was a sorry excuse of a magazine company. And obviously I would hate them more now since they mistook some imposter for me. I mean no one wants that to happen no matter what they were doing."

" I see . . . ."

" Well, I have to go now, I have an appointment. Don't forget that my agency will call you about the radio show. Good Luck and please do your best."

" Don't worry Miss Sakura, I will." He said evilly ( cue the evil music and the evil laughter)

They both hung up.

Mikan put her phone away and stretched. She felt so relieved now. All she had to do was to wait for her agency to call and probably a note to get out of class. She decided to go to the cafeteria for some lunch, she was starving.

After she left, a certain Hotaru Imai came out of hiding. She smirked to herself. '_This is going to be interesting. I'll make big bucks for blackmailing her but for now, I'm going to keep it to myself and see how long she lasts. I can't wait for tomorrow's magazine.' _And with that, she also left for the cafeteria.

It was late in the afternoon when the agency called her. She picked up the phone eagerly. " Hihi!!" No one was around her so she acted like herself.

" Hi Mikan. About the radio show, we found you a spot on the Ohayou Afternoon! show. It's during your lunch break so call into the radio station at 12:30. got it? I think you have the phone number from last time." It was the executive and he wasn't afraid anymore.

" Hai! Bye-bye!"

" Bye-bye, the agency is doing their best and wishes you the best tomorrow. We'll all be listening." And with that, the executive hung up.

Mikan hung up too and left for her room. Her first day was completely different from what she thought it would be.

The next morning, the same pink haired girl ran into the classroom holding a magazine. She was panting with a shocked look on her face. The teachers had another meeting that day so they got the day off again.

The pink hair girl threw the magazine on the table. " Look everyone!" She was still panting.

Everyone gathered, including Mikan, even though she already knew what it was. Everyone looked at the cover. The headline was:

**MISTAKEN IMPOSTER: HOW COULD THEY MAKE SUCH A MISTAKE.**

**Details inside**.

Behind the bolded words was the picture of the imposter during her make-out session. It was the same picture in Japan All Star. Someone flipped the page.

Surprisingly, that chief editor managed to turn Mikan's little paragraph speech into a full page story. She quickly scanned it and smirked. She could tell that this was one of his best works.

Suddenly she snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a voice.

" Hey it says she'll be on a radio show at 12:30. I can't believe that Japan All Star made such a silly mistake. I'm never reading them ever again. "

A girl student replied, " Oh, you're just saying that. Anyways, it's almost 12:30, let's go to the cafeteria and listen to the radio. Oh! I knew it wasn't true. I just love Mikan Sakura, she's way too nice to do something like _that_ in public anyways. Let's go!"

Most of the students left. Mikan made her way out of the classroom, planning to go to the rooftop like before. Like yesterday, a pair of amethyst eyes followed her out the door but decided not to follow the disguised brunette. Instead, Hotaru Imai made her way to the cafeteria.

The rooftop was as silent as before. There was no one there. A breeze welcomed Mikan and this time Mikan felt happy. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the radio station's number. She was connected in a matter of seconds.

**Meanwhile **

" Hihi! This is Dj Rewind and the time is finally here. We have with us today, on air, none other than Mikan Sakura." Dj Rewind pressed a button connecting to the telephone line.

" Everyone give a warm welcome to the one, the only, Mikan Sakura!!!!! "

" Hihi! Minna-san. Mikan Sakura speaking." She put on a ultra cheery voice.

" Now, Miss Mikan, can you tell the audience out there about that little scandal. Personally, I was shocked when I read the Japan All Star. I couldn't believe that you would even do such a thing in public plus that little picture seemed a little off. Then, this morning, I read Japan Top News and was even more shocked. Why don't you tell us about that?"

" Sure. Minna, that person on the cover of Japan All Star is not me. Plus I don't exactly believe in public displays of affection except for holding hands. Yep, that's right. That little scandal isn't just a little misunderstanding, it's a wasted story and a lot of wasted paper. I mean, they didn't even check their facts. Whoever that imposter really is, I feel sorry for her to be dragged into such a mess."

" Now, I also read that you were going to take legal action, what was that about?"

" Well at first, I was determined to sue that magazine company all the way to a million dollar court because I have an alibi, a witness and enough evidence against them. But then I thought that that would just be a waste of money. So now, I'm only considering it. " She sounded even more cheerful when talking about suing them. The Dj sweatdropped at the cheerfulness in her voice.

" Well this is about all the time we have. Mikan, thank you for joining me here today. I know you must have a busy schedule. Please come by anytime and I wish you the best of luck, especially in stopping this stupid scandal."

" Arigato. Thank you to all of you who are supporting me, and for those of you who still believe that scandal, don't. cuz not a word of it is true. Well, bye-bye."

The show went off air and Mikan hung up.

Mikan was even happier than before. All of a sudden, her stomach growled. '_Ehehehehe . . . seems like that worked up an appetite. I'll go down to the cafeteria and grab some food.' _

Mikan made her way to the cafeteria. She happily ordered herself a big platter of food, secretly listening to people talking about her. She sat at a table by herself and ate quietly. She didn't notice people walking towards them.

" Konnichiwa Mikan!" Mikan looked up and saw Yuu, Hotaru, the pink haired girl, a girl with long midnight colored hair, a boy with spiky hair and a strange smile, a boy holding a rabbit and her partner. They were all holding trays of food.

Mikan swallowed the food in her mouth. " Konnichiwa minna, what brings you here?"

Yuu replied, " Well, we saw you eating alone so we decided to join you. can we sit here?"

Mikan was surprised and happy, she thought it would be a lot harder to make friends. " S-Sure. Go ahead. "

The pink haired girl stared at Mikan and spoke, " Hi Mikan. My name is Anna. I hope we can be good friends. "

Mikan was about to reply but was interrupted by the girl with midnight hair, " Hi Mikan, my name is Nonoko."

" My name is Kokoro, you can call me Koko." This time it was the boy with the strange smile.

" My name is Ruka." It was the boy with the rabbit.

" Hn." ( Guess who)

Mikan smiled, she kind of forgot about her acting at the moment. " Nice to meet you, I hope we can be good friends in the future."

Hotaru faced Mikan, her face as emotionless as ever. " Hey Mikan, you can call me Hotaru if you want."

All of a sudden, everyone stared at them, shocked. Mikan looked around and wonder what was going on. "Oi! What's going on, what's with you guys?"

Yuu spoke, " Well, none of us have ever seen Hotaru this friendly before, so we're kind of shocked. "

Mikan stared at him with a blank expression, " So that's why." She turned and faced Hotaru, " I hope we can be good friends, Hotaru."

Mikan smiled. She was so happy. A lot happened today, she got revenge on a magazine company and made tons of new friends. She wondered what could be next. Her day seems more perfect than before, nothing could possibly go wrong.

" WHY YOU LITTLE OVER ACHIEVER!!!! HOW DARE YOU SIT AT THE SAME TABLE AS MY NATSUME!!!!!"

Correction, she _**thought**_ nothing could go wrong.

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**Hope you enjoyed this chapter minna. Again, review and advise. I know that whole scandal thing sounds kinda shallow but I couldn't think of a better way. Plus I noticed in the other stories that there was no scandal so I hope this brought a little difference. Arigato! **


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. **_

Mikan turned from the table and faced an outraged Sumire with other girls standing behind her. Because of the little fire that was on her head, she now had a burnt bald spot at the top of her head. The rest of her hair looked like dry and crispy seaweed.

Mikan spoke as nicely as she could, provoking Permy even more. " Can I help you?"

Her plan worked. Sumire was even more pissed than before. " Oh, look at the way the little angel talks." Now she was mocking Mikan. " First, you get partnered with MY Natsume and now you're sitting at the same table, who the hell do you think you are?!?"

Mikan smirked, this was going to be fun. " First of all, _PERMY_, I didn't choose to be partnered up with him, the teacher did. Second of all, I was at this table before Hyuuga and it's rude to suddenly ask someone to leave, especially for your sake. And third, he isn't yours. Don't you remember yesterday when he burnt your hair. He said he wouldn't even go near you. I think the bald spot and burnt hair proves that much. "

" Hmph!! You think you're all that. Well you're not. You'll never match up against a gorgeous beauty like me, the one and only Sumire Shouda. " Permy stuck her nose in the air as if trying to make a statement.

" BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!! " Mikan was laughing really hard while clutching her stomach. " Oh stop! You're killing me! That was such a funny joke. I've never laughed this hard before. "

Everyone around her stared at her, waiting for the laughter to stop.

Permy was even more furious than before. She couldn't believe this little wannabe would have the guts to laugh at her.

Mikan's laughter died down. She stared at the furious Permy while wiping a tear from her eye. " Do you even know what the words gorgeous and beauty means? Because you should take a look in the mirror. And if you still think that, then go around and randomly ask guys if _they_ think you're pretty. "

" Why you insolent, little witch! How dare you say such a thing. Of course I'm pretty. I'm Sumire Shouda, head of the Natsume and Ruka Fanclub."

Mikan smirked, " Really, what about Ruka-pyon? You never mentioned him until now. And that was to introduce yourself too."

Permy was taken aback by this but replied anyways. " I-It was implied. Geez, you're so stupid if you can't even notice that."

" Really now, let's rewind and play, shall we?" Mikan looked directly into Permy's eyes. She (permy) gulped.

" First, you get partnered with MY Natsume and now you're sitting at the same table, who the hell do you think you are?!?" Mikan was mocking Sumire and it was a great impression. She wasn't an actress for nothing. " Now does that sound implied to you? Hmmm . . . . I think NOT!!!" MIkan continued. " Why don't you leave now. I want to eat my lunch before it gets cold. " Mikan turned around back to her table.

" How dare you tell me to leave, do you know who I am?!?"

Mikan was still facing the table. " Of course I do. You're that little annoying b!#h who disturbed me while I was eating. I think I have the right to tell you to leave me in peace. So shoo!" Mikan waved her hand up in the air. " That's right get lost or else. You wouldn't want your _dear_ Natsume and Ruka to see your ugly side, do you now? "

Sumire completely forgot that that Natsume and Ruka were watching the whole time. She decided to give up for now. " Hmph! Fine, you win this time but just you wait, you little wannabe." And with that, she and her speechless group walked away.

Everyone at the table stared at Mikan, who didn't notice cuz she was hungry and eating like a pig.

Yuu and Hotaru stood up from the table, they were both done their lunches. "Well, Hotaru and I have some student council stuff to take care of so we'll see you." They were about to leave when Koko stood up as well.

" Wait you guys. I heard that there was a lot of work, I'll help too." And with that, the three of them left.

Everyone watched them leave. Suddenly, Anna and Nonoko stood up as well. "Well, we should go too, we have an experiment planned and we really should begin to set up. Bye you guys." They waved good-bye and left too.

Now there was only Mikan, Natsume and Ruka.

" Well, I'm have to go to the barn, you coming Natsume?" Ruka stood up from his seat.

" Hn." He stood up and left too following Ruka.

Ok, now there's only Mikan. Mikan wasn't sad that all her new friends just ditched her though. She was quite happy. She decided to go outside and read.

Mikan left the building with a book in her arms. Outside, it was a clear sunny day. A comfortable wind blew around her, tempting her to put her hair down. She resisted though. She started walking and reading at the same time. Eventually, she found herself walking by a certain sakura tree, not spotting a certain sleeping Natsume. Mikan continued on her way and passed three other students that seemed like they were older than her. They decided to pick on her a little, fully aware of how "ugly" she was.

" Hey, cutie. Want to go have some fun. I'm one of the hottest guys around so you should feel honored. What do you say?" His friends were laughing and smirking at the same time.

Mikan could tell it was just a joke so she kept walking pretending she didn't hear anything.

" Oi! What's wrong with you. I'm talking to you, b!#h! Don't just ignore me." He was joking around anymore.

All of a sudden, he grabbed her shoulder. His hand wasn't even there for a second when Mikan grabbed it and flipped him. This woke up a certain raven haired boy who happen to be nearby. He turned to see what the commotion was.

The other two guys stopped laughing. They started to run towards her yelling. "Why you little ugly b!#h! We'll teach you to mess with us." They ran at her with fists.

Mikan was still holding her open book. She dodged their punches and flipped them no matter how many times they got up and came at her. In the end, Mikan's book was still open with not a single scratch on her. The boys were a different story.

They got up panting. " Why you b!#h!!! "

" You provoked me and got what you deserved. If you want, we can 'play' some more, but can you last?" Mikan looked up with piercing eyes.

This got the boys quite scared and a hidden witness amused. " W-We'll get you for this. You'll r-regret the day you met us."

Mikan looked at them with a bored expression. " You're right, I do regret it. What a waste of time."

The boys got up and quickly scrambled away. Mikan smirked and continued to read . She disappeared moments later.

A certain crimson eyed, raven haired boy smirked. Looks like he found something fun to do.

The next day was another average day. Finally, class was going to start today. Mikan arrived early to be greeted by her new friends. They each welcomed her with warm smiles. The only ones that weren't there were Ruka and Natsume.

Mikan sat at her seat and pulled out her book. Suddenly, Ruka and Natsume marched through the door. Ruka took a seat at his seat. Natsume made his way to Mikan.

" Oi! Little girl. Fight me." The entire classes grew silent and stared at Natsume, each wondering if they heard right.

Mikan turned sharply, only to find herself gazing into a pair of intent crimson eyes. She wasn't expecting this turn of events.

" What did you say?" She asked quietly. They were still staring at each other.

" Didn't you hear me! Fight me! "

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**Arigato for reading minna. And thnx to all those who posted a review ( blushing with joy). Again review and advise. **


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!!**_

Mikan continued to stare at him. She was trying to find any hint that might suggest that he was joking. She couldn't find any. She couldn't believe what she just hear. How can someone, more importantly her partner, come up and challenge her to a battle? The only thing she could think of was that little fight yesterday with those three guys. They probably told him. This was going to be interesting.

Mikan smirked, " Whatever you say. You seem completely serious so I won't go easy on you. Just tell me the time and place."

This whole time, the class stared in silence, hearing every word that came out of their mouths.

Suddenly, " HOLD IT!!! MY DEAR NATSUME, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THAT GIRL. BESIDES, YOU ALREADY KNOW THE RESULTS TO THE, WHY WASTE YOUR PRECIOUS TIME." Sumire was sick of all the time Mikan spent with HER Natsume no matter what it was.

Natsume ignored this comment. " Meet me in the Northern Forest. If you follow the path, it will lead to a clearing. We will have our fight there. Meet me at 3:30 today, a half hour after school is finished." He turned and faced the rest of the class. "You can come and watch but don't interfere. Or I'll turn you into ashes." He was now glaring at the whole class. Everyone sweatdropped.

He turned towards the door, " Come on Ruka."

Ruka got up from his seat and left the class following Natsume.

In the hallway, " Are you sure about this, Natsume. I mean, radomly picking a fight and with the new girl too. What are you thinking?" Ruka sounded a bit worried.

Natsume replied, without turning around. " She's interesting. That's all there is to it."

They walked silently and left the school building.

Meanwhile in the classroom, class had already started, but no one paid attention. They were all excited and confused about the fight after school. Mikan was the most excited of all. Her third day in this academy and she hasn't felt bored, not even for a moment. This just keeps getting better. She smirked to herself and looked out the window.

It was another clear, sunny day. She could see fluffy clouds, each reminding her of marshmallows. She couldn't wait for the fight. It's been a while since she had some exercise and yesterday's event didn't even count as warm up.

The bell rang, signaling lunch and also snapping Mikan out of her thoughts. Mikan got up from her seat as Anna, Nonoko, Koko, Yuu and Hotaru approached her.

Anna came forward, " Hey Mikan. Let's go to lunch. You have some serious talking to do. For starters, what did you do to make Natsume want to fight you and on your third day here too?"

Mikan looked around at her friends. They all looked like they wanted an answer. She decided to keep yesterday's fight a secret. " I don't know. But I don't back down from a challenge."

No one could reply to this so they dropped the subject and made their way to the cafeteria. They all knew that the answers would come at 3:30 today in the Northern Woods.

" Hold it right there, Mikan Sakura!! "

Mikan and her friends were already in the cafeteria when they heard a voice stop them. They all turned around to face none other than Sumire Shouda and the rest of her fanclub.

" Why does MY Natsume want to fight someone as worthless as you? Answer me. I know you know." Sumire was impatiently waiting for an answer.

Mikan decided to give the same answer as she gave her friends. " I don't know. But I don't back down from a challenge." She sounded as truthfully as she could so Permy could leave her alone.

" Fine! But we, the Natsume and Ruka Fanclub, will be keeping an eye on you." And just like Mikan's wish, they left her and her friends alone.

Mikan, Hotaru, Yuu, Anna, Nonoko, and Koko ate their lunches in confortable silence. They were all looking forward to 3:30. No one paid attention in their afternoon classes either nor did they see Natsume and Ruka.

After class, they made their way to the Northern Forest. They were still early and since they didn't have anything else to do, they decided to grab a good seat.

When they got there, no one was there, at least for now. Trees surrounded the clearing with sunlight peeking through the leaves. The grass was greener than usual and there was a nice breeze.

Mikan decided to warm up a bit. Her friends were amazed. They didn't expect that Mikan was actually skilled in fighting.

Mikan thought while she cut through the sir with a kick, recalling a flashback of her training when she first started her celebrity career.

" _Now Mikan, there are many perils out there in the world and even more if you're a celebrity. " Her private tutor instructed the fourteen year old. _

_She had just begun her career when her agency hired her a self defense teacher. Mikan was quite excited, she understood the importance of being able to defend one self but was even more excited into making those moves her own. _

_Mikan finished her training in no less than one year. She surprised her agency, not expecting her to be this talented. She secretly won battles against national champions while making her moves as graceful as possible. Her stance was perfect for offense and defense and more graceful and poised than an angel itself. _

Mikan snapped out of her thoughts and back to the present as she noticed Natsume come into view. He was five minutes early.

By now, there was a great audience that gathered. They might as well fight in an arena. At least there were seats for the viewers.

There were two minutes left. Both Mikan and Natsume were still in their school uniform and of course Mikan was in her disguise. She wanted to take her glasses off but then she would surely be recognized. It was a good thing that the press didn't know that Mikan could fight or she would surely be recognized with her stance.

There was thirty seconds left. Ruka walked forward, he was the referee.

He looked at Natsume and Mikan. Both had determined looks on their faces. "Ok! I want a fair fight from the two of you. You may use your Alices, th-"

He was cut off by Mikan. " If you can. Remember I have the Nullification Alice."

" Tch."

Ruka started off from where he was cut off. " The first one who is unable to get up is the winner. " He looked at the both of them again.

There was five seconds left.

" And . . . . .GO!" Ruka stepped back into the crowd.

Mikan was in her stance, provoking Natsume to make the first move.

'_She has a unique stance but I can tell that she's quite skilled. I was correct when I chose her to fight.' _Natsume smirked and ran forward and attempted a punch.

Mikan saw this and quickly dodged it. Just as quickly, another punch came out of nowhere but this time fire surrounded his fist. Mikan smirked and his fist went out. She grabbed his fist and flung it, forcing his body to the ground. Both opponents landed on their feet as they backed away from each other. They were just getting started.

The audience stared in amazement. No one made a sound. Neither Mikan or Natsume have broken a sweat yet.

This time Mikan attacked first, activating her Alice so neither Natsume or the audience could use their Alices. She flipped forward and attempted a kick. He dodged it and tried to land a punch. She blocked it and flipped him. At the last second, he touched the ground and flipped, landing on his feet. ' _She's good. I shouldn't underestimate her.'_ He decided to heat things up a little on his next attacks, unaware of the fact that she had already activated her Alice. He ran forward and disappeared at the last minute, reappearing from behind, trying to land a flaming punch.

But what was this, he thought he activated his Alice but nothing happened. Mikan quickly turned around, not surprised at all. She caught his fist, kicked him away and jumped back. Natsume landed with a small thud. She was just toying with him right now.

Natsume got up, why didn't his Alice work.

" I activated my Alice." Mikan replied as if almost reading his mind.

Natsume looked at her. This was going to be tougher than he thought. If he couldn't use fire than this fight would be depend on his skill. He smirked and began to think of a plan.

" I know you're not fighting seriously, why are you holding back." Natsume was trying to buy some time.

They began to circle each other. " Do you really need me to answer that. I'll get serious when you fight better."

" Well then start getting serious." Was all he could reply, he got his plan.

" I'll decide for myself about that." She looked at his face and poster, trying to predict his next move. Looks like he has a plan up his sleeve.

Suddenly, Natsume ran forward, he jumped high in the air and tried to kick from above. Mikan caught his foot with her hands and flung it away. It was her turn.

Mikan jumped in the air as well as Natsume. Mikan punched him in the cheek while dodging more of his kicks. Mikan:2, Natsume:0.

Natsume landed with another thud on the ground. Mikan had hit harder than before so the thud was also louder. This caused some of his fanclub members to scream.

Suddenly, Natsume got up and attacked again ignoring the throbbing pain in his jaw. Mikan was just landing so she was surprised and caught off guard a little. Natsume appeared from behind and attempted another kick, this time to her side. Mikan blocked his foot with both her hands.

'_Perfect.' _He thought when suddenly he landed another kick to the side, knocking her to the ground. He had kicked her hard to payback for the two times she hit him. Natsume jumped back and waited for the next move. His fan girls were screaming with joy.

Mikan got up from the surprised kick, panting a little. This wasn't enough to make Mikan back down. She smirked, time to get serious. She had an evil glint in her eyes. Even behind her contacts, Natsume could tell. He smirked as well.

Mikan took a deep breath and ran forward. But this time, since she was finally serious, she ran even faster than before. Her running was a blur to the audience and Natsume lost sight of her.

She appeared behind him and kicked him in the same side that he kicked her. He fell to the ground. The kick was a lot harder than before but this was considered normal for Mikan.

He got up and ran at her, he was faster as well but not enough to match Mikan. He was determined not to lose. He tried to land a punch, she dodged it. He tried to kick her legs next, but she dodged that as well. He jumped in the air, landing a kick on Mikan's back. When she dodged his kick, she was in a vulnerable position. She was knock to the floor, his kick was also a lot harder than before. Plus it was on her back, the pain won't go away that easily.

Mikan got up. Even though he couldn't catch up to her speed he used his brains instead by looking for an opening and quickly responding. She's got to admit, she was impressed by this but it won't happen a second time.

Both of them were panting quite hard, both feeling the pain. They had to finish it off and quickly.

Mikan clenched her hand into a fist and smirked. This was the hardest she fought in quite a while.

" You're not as bad as I thought, Natsume."

" You're not half-bad yourself." He replied. He was having more fun than he planned.

Then, as if on cue, " BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DEFEAT ME!" They both yelled this at the same time, meaning every word. This sent shivers down everyone's spines.

Mikan got into her stance while Natsume got into position. Suddenly, they both ran towards each other and launched themselves into the air. Mikan tried to punch him from behind but he dodged it and jumped higher into the air. He tried to land a kick but she caught it and flung him away. Natsume quickly caught himself and landed on the ground. Just as sudden as he touched the ground, he turned around and tried to kick Mikan who was behind him, trying to land a blow. They both flew back and landed on the ground. By now, they were breathing heavily, but neither one would give up. They flew at each other again but this time, they put everything they had into their last attack. They flew back at the same time and landed hard on the ground.

No one saw what happened, but they did know that the two fighters were on the ground, still conscious, trying to get up. Both failed to do so.

Ruka stepped forward and put his hand in the air. " This battle has now ended, It's a tie."

Everyone began breathing again. That was the most hectic battle they've ever seen.

Yuu, Anna, Nonoko, Koko, and Hotaru ran to the struggling Mikan. She was trying to get up but was quite sore from the battle.

" I can't believe I tied with that guy. That was fun but this is the first time this happened. Damn that Natsume. Looks like I have to train more."

Ruka rushed to Natsume, who managed to sit up. His fangirls tried to get close as well but he glared at them and they backed off. Natsume looked at Mikan, who was leaning on Anna for support. " That was fun, let's do it again but next time, I won't tie with you."

Mikan managed a weak smirk. " It was fun and I agree. And next time, you'll lose to me."

Mikan and her friends walked towards the path leading out of the Northern Forest.

It was starting to get dark but there was still light out. Mikan looked around at the 'battle field'. Before the battle, it looked like paradise, now it looked like hell had rained over it twice. Mikan winced in pain and left.

By the time they supported Mikan to her room, she was able to walk. She went into her room, wishing her friends goodnight, not noticing a little fly coming into the room with her.

Mikan was exhausted but felt quite content. She went into the kitchen and drank a glass of water, sighing with excitement. She wondered what would happen tomorrow.

She went into her bathroom and took off her pigtails, glasses and contacts. She took a bath and bandaged her wounds. She collapsed on her bed at today's events, not knowing that tomorrow would be just as 'exciting'.

The next morning, Mikan woke up, completely rejuvenated. She felt so happy and relaxed. She didn't even feel sore anymore even though her wounds were still there. She decided to get up and get ready for school.

She walked into the classroom. She was still early so she pulled out a book and read. She didn't notice all the students' eyes on her, staring at amazement at yesterday's events.

Suddenly, an amethyst eyed girl came out of nowhere and pulled Mikan out of the classroom. They went to the silent rooftop.

Mikan was staring at her in wonder. " What is it, Hotaru?"

Hotaru stared back, her face emotionless. " I know who you truly are, Mikan Sakura and I have proof."

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**So how did you like this chapter. I would have made the fight scene longer but somehow it kinda seemed tiring. Hoped you liked it. Arigato for reading. Plz review and advise. **


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!**_

Mikan was shocked. She couldn't believe what she just heard. Her third day here and she's already busted. Wait! Maybe Hotaru's just joking. Yeah, yeah. That has to be it. She's just tricking her, there's no way.

" W-What are you talking about. T-The person you see right now is the real me. " Mikan was still shocked but she tried her best to throw Hotaru's suspicion off, she failed miserably.

" Don't try to throw me off. I have proof." The amethyst eyed girl was still as emotionless as ever. She whipped out a mini flat screen tv out of nowhere. It was connect to a little fly, most likely a camera.

Hotaru pressed play. Suddenly the screen came to life as it showed Mikan in the washroom, taking off her disguise.

Mikan gasped, she couldn't believe it. What was going to happen to her now. "Please Hotaru, I'll do anything, just keep that a secret. No one can know." Mikan was now begging her, practically on her knees.

Hotaru smirked, she was waiting for those words. " Well, let's see. It's no fun just blackmailing anymore, since I've got Nogi for that. Plus finding out that you're a celebrity could earn me big bucks. I also need something new to do. Hmm, let's see." Hotaru was still as emotionless as ever but her tone of voice changed, leaving Mikan hanging. " Oh I know."

Mikan gulped. She knew this wouldn't be good. " W-What is it?"

Hotaru stared directly into Mikan's eyes, as if she knew everything about her. "Hire me as your manager."

" Eh! . . . . " Mikan was shocked. She thought it would be something that involved blackmailing or some kind of dirty work. She wasn't expecting Hotaru to be asking for a job. Of all things to ask for.

" That's right, I want to be your manager. Mikan Sakura is one of the biggest celebrities out there. she's also famous for _that_, not having a manager. Plus I get played as your manager and I can make more money, selling your picture as well as pictures of other celebrities." Hotaru wasn't joking. She was dead serious.

Mikan gulped. It was true that she didn't have a manager. This was always the thing that the executive would talk to her about whenever she talked to him. She didn't like the idea of someone controlling her life. Plus, she had no trouble organizing her own schedule. She was well off, better than most celebrities out there who actually had managers.

Hotaru seemed to remember this fact about Mikan. " Don't worry, I won't being doing that much work. I guess I'll be 'posing' as your manager. I'll accompany you to your jobs but I won't actually do any work, besides taking your pictures and selling them off. So I won't control your life, if you're worrying about that. I'll even keep your identity a secret, so don't worry about being busted."

This got through to Mikan. She sighed with relief. She faced Hotaru and smiled. "You can be my manager, but I can't settle this now. I want you to accompany me to photo shoot tomorrow. It's a weekend so it should be ok. Of course, I'll have to tell the executive on the phone and also tell Narumi-sensei so he can give you permission to leave school grounds. " Mikan held her hands. A breeze came by and enveloped the two friends.

Hotaru still faced Mikan. This time she smiled, but just a little. " I hope we work well together. For now, I'm going to keep it a secret that I'm the famous Mikan Sakura's new manager, so don't worry, your secret's safe with me." Hotaru began to walk to the door, still holding one of Mikan's hand. " Come on, we're going to be late for class. "

They left the rooftop. For once, Mikan really felt like she had a dear friend who she could trust. she was truly happy.

Class seemed to go slower than usual but Mikan still enjoyed every minute of her so called normal school life. When the dismissal bell finally rang, Mikan approached Hotaru.

" I need you to come with me to the faculty room. I need to make a call to the agency and request permission from the teacher. " Mikan had already packed her things. They were the only ones left in class.

Hotaru finished packing her bag. " Ok, let's go." Her face was as emotionless as ever.

Together, they made their way to the faculty room, in search of their homeroom teacher, Narumi-sensei.

The two friends entered the faculty room and found their teacher at his desk. He looked up after noticing their presence.

Mikan started, " Narumi-sensei, can we talk to you, privately." There were other teachers in the room and she didn't want to be overheard.

Narumi-sensei got up from his seat and led the two girls to a secluded room. He shut the door behind him.

The room they entered wasn't bare. In fact, there were couches and a coffee table with a telephone on top.

Mikan sat down on one of the couches with Hotaru, while Narumi-sensei sat opposite of them.

Mikan looked at her teacher.

"I've decided to hire Hotaru as my manager." She said while pointing to Hotaru.

Narumi-sensei was shocked at this turn of events. He thought it was weird that those two came in together but he didn't expect this to happen.

" Eh . . . ." Was all he could reply.

Mikan clarified. " That's right, I want to hire Hotaru as my manager. Right now, I have to call my agency to tell them this. Hotaru also has to sign a contract and meet the executive. Since she's going to be my manager, she needs permission to leave with me on my 'missions'."

Narumi-sensei was still shocked but not as much as before. "I think you should call your agency." He was pushing the phone towards her.

Mikan picked it up and dialed the familiar number.

" Hello." A familiar voice picked up.

" Hi, it's Mikan. I need to discuss that."

The executive couldn't reply. As far as he knew, she always avoided the subject. The subject of trying to persuade her to get a manager. Now all of a sudden, right after that scandal, she calls and _wants_ to talk about that.

Mikan repeated what she just said, since she thought he couldn't hear her. "Um . . . hello? . . .It's Mikan. I need to discuss that.

The executive snapped out of his thoughts and replied. "Yes. I'm listening."

Mikan took a deep breath and started. " I've finally found a manager. She's a student here at my school."

The executive officially re-entered his state of shock. He couldn't believe what he just heard. The words he wanted to hear from her became a reality. He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Nope, he was fully awake.

" T-That's great, Mikan. Bring her tomorrow during your photo shoot, I would like to meet with her personally. I also need her to sign a contract. Let me talk to Narumi so I can get him to grant your friend permission to leave from now on with you. I'm so happy for you Mikan."

Mikan sweat dropped. She didn't think it was that happy considering what got her into this. She handed the phone to Narumi-sensei.

Narumi-sensei didn't talk much on the phone besides "mmm" while nodding and "yes, I understand". Finally, he hung up.

He turned and faced the two friends." Hotaru, I congratulate you on becoming Mikan's manager. I grant you permission from now on to leave with Mikan whenever she has a job."

He left the room and came back in moments later. He was holding an envelope. He handed it to Hotaru. " This is Mikan's schedule for this month. Each month you both will get a new one. There are choices that the agency will leave for Mikan to decide. You will be informed of all this. And of course, you will not mention this to anyone. If anyone asks, you two were on a mission." He suddenly became serious. " You will leave tomorrow with Mikan to her photo shoot. A limo will pick the both of you up at 8:00 am."

Mikan and Hotaru stood up. They waved good bye and left the room. They went their separate ways in front of the faculty room. They promised to meet each other in the front entrance of the dormitories at 7:45 am.

The next morning, Mikan woke up at 6:30 am. She had went to bed early last night since she would have a lot of work ahead of her today.

Mikan went to the washroom, brushed her teeth and took a shower. She went to her closet and chose her outfit. She ended up choosing a lilac checkered haltered summer dress. A deep purple ribbon was sewn right under the bust. The rest of the dress flowed and ended before her knees, revealing long, silky legs. She wore white beaded flip flops to complete her look. She also got a white sun hat, with a deep purple ribbon on it's rim. She didn't need to wear jewelry, her look was already perfect. She packed another set of set of clothes just in case. She also brought extra make up and a mirror. She put on her disguise and left her room, locking it behind her.

Mikan arrived in the dining room, no one was there. Of course no one was there. It was like 7:00 in the morning, and today was a weekend too. Mikan ate in silence.

By the time Mikan was done, she still had half an hour left. She decided to take a walk outside.

For some reason, her feet led her to a certain sakura tree. Mikan remembered it. It was the tree she happened to be nearby when those guys tried to pick a fight with her. Mikan decided to take a seat, her back against the tree. For some reason, that fight seemed like ages ago.

Mikan pulled her schedule out of her bag and looked at it. She didn't know that someone was sitting on the branch above her. He sensed her presence though and peered at her with his crimson eyes. As she pulled out the schedule, he eyed it curiously.

" Oi! Little girl, what are you doing here?"

Mikan looked above her, following the voice. She found Natsume sitting on a branch above her. She was surprised. She didn't expect anyone to wake up so early, especially on a week-end.

Mikan replied, still stunned. " Is it a crime?" She still had the schedule in her hand.

Natsume jumped off his branch and landed on the ground. He stood up and looked at her. "Tch! Whatever."

He glanced over at the papers that she was holding. "Oi! What is that?" He was pointing to the sheets of paper in her hand.

Mikan snapped out of thought when she suddenly realized what she was holding. She quickly folded in and stuff it in her bag. " Umm . . .nothing . . .just some homework."

Mikan got up and dusted the skirt of her dress. She grabbed her bag and ran.

She peeked over her shoulder and yelled, " I have to go now, bye." She ran off in a hurry, leaving Natsume wondering about what she was hiding.

He also happened to notice that Mikan had curves in the right place. Despite her looks, she had a nice body. He snapped out of his thoughts, what was he thinking.

Mikan ran until she couldn't see the sakura tree. She stopped and looked at the time on her cell: 7:40 am. _'Perfect!' _She made her way back to the dormitories.

She arrived right on time, recognizing a certain amethyst eyed girl. She was also wearing a sundress, except, it was blue and spaghetti strapped. There were flowers sewn all over her dress in dark blue thread. She wore dark blue flip flops. She also had a sun hat, but the ribbon was dark blue with light blue flowers outlined on it.

Mikan waved to her, " Hotaru!!"

_**baka baka baka**_

Mikan slammed backwards from the sudden attack. She stared at Hotaru, who was walking towards her, holding a gun.

" Ouch! That hurt, what did you do that for, Hotaru?" Mikan was rubbing her forehead.

" You're too noisy. It's 7:45 in the morning. Many people are still asleep, so I shot you with my baka gun to shut you up." Hotaru's face was as emotionless as ever.

Suddenly, a black limo pulled up in front of them.

" Guess that's our ride." Mikan got up and walked towards the car.

They got in and left the Academy grounds. They had to be at the photo shoot at 9:00 am. There destination was a studio in Tokyo. There, the executive would also be waiting for them. Mikan took off her disguise during their journey there.

When they got there, the executive was there to greet them. Unfortunately, it wasn't just the executive there, there was flashing cameras and photographers.

Mikan whipped out her cell phone and dialed a number.

" Hey, executive, I'm going to the back, I might be clear of the press there. " Mikan hung up, not allowing the executive to reply.

Mikan faced her direction to the driver. " Take us to the back, and drop us off there. " She ordered.

He quickly replied. " H-Hai!" He quickly changed gear and they drove off, once again.

This whole time, Hotaru kept silent, observing Mikan in her celebrity life. She has to admit, Mikan had her act together. She really didn't need a manager, unfortunately for her, she does have one. Hotaru knew she wouldn't have a lot of work on her plate. She smirked at this fact.

They arrived at the back of the studio building. There they saw the executive waiting for them. They didn't see the press.

Mikan and Hotaru got out of the limo. The executive greeted Mikan and faced Hotaru.

Mikan introduced them. " Um . . . this is Hotaru Imai, she is my new manager."

Hotaru faced the executive. She could tell he was powerful but not as powerful as Mikan. " Nice to meet you."

The executive smiled, " Nice to meet you too. I can sense you're going to be a great manager. "

And with that, the three made their way into the building.

By now, Mikan was used to photo shoots. She changed into the outfit, make up artists did their magic, hair stylists tugged and pulled and photographers ordered her around in a friendly manner.

Hotaru was surprised even though she didn't look it. She had a secret camera brooch attached to her dress. She was secretly taking pictures of Mikan so she could sell them later on.

The photo shoot lasted for an hour. By then, Mikan had already changed into five different outfits. She was tired and sweating, this was going to be a long day. She was handed a towel and changed back into her own clothes. The executive beckoned Mikan and Hotaru to follow hi and together they left for a secluded area in the studio building.

They ended up at the corner of the building. There was a table and chairs surrounding it. They took a seat. Hotaru sat with Mikan, while the executive sat opposite them.

He pulled out an official looking piece of paper and placed it on the table. He got out a pen as well and faced Hotaru. " Now if you're going to be Mikan's manager, I need you to sign this contract. This simply binds you as a manager to Mikan Sakura. Of course, Mikan and I have the right to fire you in case something happens. Also if you feel unsatisfied, you can quit. You will go with Mikan to ALL her jobs and be aware of her schedule and choices. Since you're also in her school, I want you to take care of her. You will be paid accordingly, each month. All I need is your signature on the dotted line of this contract."

Hotaru picked up the contract and quickly scanned it. She took the pen and signed.

She looked up to see the executive smiling. " I welcome you, Hotaru Imai, as Mikan Sakura's new manger. Oh by the way, for now, I'll keep it a secret from the press that Mikan has a manager. We'll let them find out on their own. "

They all got up from their seats. Mikan had to go to her next job, and the three of them knew it. They parted ways at the back of the building.

" I'll leave her to you then. Here's my number just in case." The executive handed Hotaru a piece of paper and left.

The rest of the day flew by after Hotaru signed the contract. By the time they got back to Academy grounds, they were exhausted. It was 9:00 pm.

The limo dropped the two friends off in front of their dorms. By now, the stars were out and shining like crystals.

The two friends got out of the car, they were holding hands like childhood friends. Mikan stared at Hotaru and smiled. She had her disguise on but her smile was still the same, with or without the disguise.

" I'm really glad that you became my manager, Hotaru."

Hotaru looked away. " Yeah, I'm glad too." Her bangs were covering her eyes for some reason.

Hotaru began to walk towards the dormitory entrance. " Come on, let's get some rest, we had one heck of a day."

The two friends walked back in silence. Mikan parted for her room. _'I wonder what will happen tomorrow.'_

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**Arigato for reading again. I decided to put in the little things that makes Hotaru and Natsume special. Tell me what you think. Sorry for the late update. I'll try to upload the next one as soon as possible. Please review and advise.**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!!**_

The next day, Hotaru and Mikan were in her office. Even though they didn't need to attend any photo shoots or interviews, they were as busy as ever. Hotaru wasn't exactly having a picnic either. She thought it was going to be a piece of cake but it turns out there were a lot of forms that happen to need the manager's signature. Papers were stacked on Mikan's desk, where Hotaru worked.

On the other hand, Mikan had to write five new songs for her next cd. Her deadline was by the end of the week. She was busy sitting at her piano with music scores and a pencil. Both of the two girls were busy and had been there since early in the morning.

By noon, Hotaru was done signing contracts. She put down her pen and looked at Mikan. "How many songs do you have done?"

Mikan looked at Hotaru as well. " I only have two songs. I can't get any ideas."

Hotaru got up and walked over to Mikan. "How about we go to lunch, you can think of ideas there."

Mikan looked at the clock and replied. " Ok!"

She got up as well and went to put on her disguise. Hotaru wore capris that day and a printed tank top. Mikan wore a jean skirt with pink layered tank tops. Hotaru followed Mikan into her washroom.

" I've been wondering, do you always have this much work?" Hotaru was done her part but felt like she could sleep for the rest of the day plus her hand was cramping.

Mikan looked up, tying her hair. "Yeah, although before I came, it was even more hectic. Sometimes I would only sleep a total of 12 hours in one week, especially when I'm on tour. "

Hotaru's emotionless eyes were quite wide at this comment. What did she do? Hotaru depended a lot on her sleep and sometimes wouldn't even get up at noon on weekends. So much for thinking that being Mikan's manager was easy.

Mikan saw this and grinned. " Don't worry, this isn't that much work. The executive already considered the fact that we have homework from school. It's not that bad. Plus the first day of any job is always a little overwhelming."

Mikan put on her fake glasses. "Come on, let's go. I'm starving."

They arrived in the dining room to find many people sitting at tables, eating their meals. They got their meals and spotted their friends. Even Ruka and Natsume were there.

" Mikan, Hotaru, over here." Anna waved at them.

Mikan waved back and sat down. Hotaru followed her and sat down as well.

Yuu looked at them. " Where were you? I haven't seen you since class."

Mikan replied, " Well, yesterday, I had a mission and came back late last night so I just woke up."

Her friends got silent when she mentioned mission, not realizing what she really meant by that.

Hotaru replied as well to break the silence. " I was working on an invention, and made more copies of the pictures of Nogi here." She pointed at him as he started to grow red in the face. Everyone sweatdropped.

" Imai-san, how could you?!?" Ruka was mad.

" Oh . . ." Was all Yuu could reply. " Umm . . . . We're planning to go to Central Town after lunch, do you two want to come with us? "

Mikan was confused, " What's Central Town?"

Nonoko replied for Yuu. " I guess you don't know since you're new. Central Town is like a marketplace in Alice Academy. It's a place where you can spend your rabbits. Most things there are created by people with Alices, so it's much more unique compared to a normal marketplace. So what do you say?"

Mikan smiled at this. Maybe if she went there, she could think of ideas for her songs. " Sure, I'd love to go. Hotaru, are you going?"

Hotaru swallowed the food in her mouth. " Sure, I can sell Nogi's picture there. It'll be better than selling it here." She didn't say anymore, she knew what Mikan was thinking.

" Imai-san!!" Ruka shouted as everyone sweatdropped, again.

They ate the rest of their lunches, talking about very random things. When they finished, they got up and went to the bus stop. Mikan was the most excited of them all.

On the bus ride there Koko turned around and faced Mikan. He was sitting in front of her on the bus.

" Hey, Mikan. When you get there, you have to try some Howalon. It's the best." He said, smiling.

Mikan had a questioned look on her face. " What's Howalon?"

Koko replied. " It's like Cotton Candy but MUCH better. It's heavenly."

" Really?" Mikan asked in delight. She was like a five year old, despite her looks.

" Yeah it is, everyone loves Howalons. It's only ten rabbits a box."

" Ok. I can't wait to try some. "

Mikan rode the rest of the way in silence, thinking about her songs and delicious Howalons.

When they got there, Mikan was amazed and excited. There were so many people, and best of all, there were hundreds of shop. She knew she was going to shop like crazy. As if she didn't have enough clothes already.

But their first stop was the Howalon stand. There was a short line, surprisingly, so Mikan got her box quite quickly. She held one in her hands and put it in her mouth.

By this time, Hotaru had earplugs ready.

"DAMN!!! THIS IS SO GOOD!" Mikan yelled. Everyone stared at Mikan while they plugged their ears, except Hotaru of course.

Mikan pretended that nothing happened and continued to eat.

" You're so loud, little girl. And can you eat any faster?" Natsume asked sarcastically.

Mikan was quite clueless to this and responded, " Hey, I'm not a little. I can kick your ass anytime. Plus, I think I'm eating quick enough already. I want to enjoy all the shops. "

Mikan continued to silently munch away as everyone sweatdropped.

'_For a genius special star, she sure is dense.'_ They all thought this as they watched Mikan finish her Howalons.

The boys and the girls decided to go their separate way. The girls headed to the clothes stores while the boys followed Natsume and headed towards the bookstore. They decided to meet at the bus stop at 4:30 pm.

Mikan went crazy in each shop. Hotaru was there of course, selling pictures to every girl she saw. Hotaru shot Mikan with her baka gun so many times, that the sum of the total of shots were over a hundred. It was 4:30 pm before they knew it.

The boys were already there at the bus station, waiting for the girls. Finally, they saw them. Each girl was holding many bags, excluding Hotaru even though she looked just as happy. Mikan was carrying the most.

The boys stared at the happy girl, each wondering how one person could buy so much. Both of Mikan's ARMS (that's right, arms) were filled with gigantic shopping bags. The boys suspected that she put some smaller bags into the bigger bags since she ran out of arm room. They sweatdropped at the sight.

" M-Mikan." Yuu started, " How much did you buy and didn't this go beyond your allowance."

Mikan happily replied. " Oh no! I didn't exceed my limit. Actually, there were some shops that we didn't get to. Oh well, I'll go there next time. It was fun. Plus, at home, whenever I go shopping, I always end up buying more than this. This is actually quite little." Everyone sweatdropped at this comment.

" Tch. Aren't you tired from carrying so many bags and not just that, do you even have a big enough closet?" Natsume asked. He seem to have forgotten that Mikan's a special star. Of course she would have a big enough closet.

" I'm not tired. Shopping actually gives me more energy. Right now, I feel like I could go to a hundred more shops. And as for my closet, remember I'm a special star, my closet has more than enough space. I already have a lot of clothes in there, so the only problem is finding space for my new things." Mikan was still happy.

Suddenly, the bus arrived and stopped in front of them. They all got on and took a seat. Thank goodness not many people were on the bus because Mikan's newly bought purchases took up two bus seats, and each seat sat two people.

Mikan looked out the window. The sun was starting to set, emitting a golden light everywhere. She sighed with relief as ideas flooded into her head. She couldn't wait to get to work.

" Hotaru," She whispered, turning to the person sitting next to her. " Can you come to my room with me, I have an idea for my songs, I want you to hear them. "

Hotaru stared back and nodded. Her face was as emotionless as ever.

Hotaru and Mikan left parted from their friends, telling them not to wait for them at dinner. They wouldn't be coming down.

The two friends went to Mikan's closet and put everything away. It took a while but they did it in the end and Mikan had to pay Hotaru a hundred rabbits for her services. Then they went to her office. Hotaru grabbed a chair and sat near the instruments. Mikan got her music scores and started jotting down notes and lyrics, she had the melody in her head with the background music. She finished her three songs with great triumph in no less than half an hour.

Mikan turned to face Hotaru, who was reading a magazine. " Hotaru, can you listen to my favorite one. It's about today, actually I guess it's about everyday but it was more clear today. "

Hotaru smiled, but just a little. "Sure, I'd love to listen. "

Mikan went to her guitar and picked it up, and sat down. She had already memorized the notes and lyrics. She started to play, neither of them noticed that they had left the window open.

**_We don't have to try _****_We'll laugh 'til we cry  
Read each others mindsLive with a smile  
Make it all worthwhile  
Make it all worthwhile_**

**_Life has moments hard to describe  
Feeling great and feeling alive  
Never coming down from this  
Mountain we're on_**

**_Always knowing we're gonna be fine  
Feeling great and feeling alive  
Never coming down from this  
Mountain were on  
The view is so clear  
And it's crazy up here  
Life is amazing with you on the ride_**

**_We don't wanna sleep  
Just wanna stay up  
There's so much to say  
And not enough hours in the day_**

**_We'll laugh 'til we cry  
Read each others minds  
Live with a smile  
Make it all worthwhile  
Make it all worthwhile_**

**_Life has moments hard to describe  
Feeling great and feeling alive  
Never coming down from this  
Mountain we're on_**

**_Always knowing we're gonna be fine  
Feeling great and feeling alive  
Never coming down from this  
Mountain were on  
The feelings so clear  
And it's crazy up here  
Life is amazing with you on the ride_**

**_No time to be lazy  
The journey is perfect  
The pace is so crazy  
The race is so worth it  
I will be with you  
We'll do this together  
Always together_**

**_Life has moments hard to describeFeeling great and feeling alive  
Never coming down from this  
Mountain we're on  
(Mountain we're on)_**

**_Always knowing we're gonna be fine  
Feeling great and feeling alive  
Never coming down from this  
Never comin' down  
Never comin' down  
Never comin' down (from this)_**

**_Always knowing were gonna be fine  
Feeling great and feeling alive  
Never coming down from this  
Mountain were on  
(Never coming down from this)_**

Outside, the sun was almost gone. A crimson eyed boy sat on the branch of a sakura tree, when he heard a guitar and an amazing voice. He was amazed by the voice and closed his eyes, listening to the mysterious singer's voice and guitar.

Back in the office, Hotaru was speechless. The song was so good. Mikan was really a genius for putting together such a song. Mikan was right, it did describe today, it described it perfectly, and yet if a random person listened to it, they could relate to it quite easily. No wonder Mikan Sakura was such a famous artist.

" Um . . .Hotaru?" Hotaru snapped out of her thoughts.

" Mikan . . . that was perfect." Was all she could say. "What are you going to call it?"

Mikan blushed a little. She put her guitar down. " I think I'll call it 'On the Ride'."

The amethyst eyed girl replied, " Perfect."

Hotaru got up and walked to the entrance of her room. " I should go now, I have to make more pictures of Nogi, plus it's starting to get late. I'll call the executive tonight and schedule a recording. Oyasumi! "

" Oyasumi Hotaru."

Hotaru opened the door and left the room. Mikan closed the door behind her. She was really happy with her new song and she knew that Hotaru loved it too. She sighed with relief and got ready for bed.

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**Arigato for reading minn-san. Again, review and advise. See you in the next chapter! By the way, tell me what you think of the song and the match up tot the story. I tried my best.**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!!**_

A month later, Mikan settled perfectly into her school. She was a genius in all her subjects and had many good friends.

She also had many battles with Natsume, they always tied no matter what they did. They had a sort of silent agreement so Natsume didn't really burn her that much. Of course, to make up for it, Mikan was shot with the baka gun a lot. Mikan was rumored to be the first girl who got along so well with Natsume. This, of course, made Sumire and her fanclub as jealous as ever. They had tried many attempts to get back at Mikan but they always failed to do so.

As for Mikan's celebrity life, her song and newly released cd hit the top of the charts. Mikan earned millions, which she gratefully spent by shopping.

Hotaru on the other hand, had also settled into her managing job quite comfortably. The paper work did die down, but only just a bit. When Mikan earned millions, Hotaru also got her share, though not as much. The amethyst eyed blackmailer made up for this by selling Nogi posters and Mikan portraits. She ended up making the same amount as Mikan.

During the past month, Mikan did more jobs than she could keep track. Together with her manager, They went to them all, photo shoots, recordings, charities, guest spots, interviews, press conferences, modeling a new line of clothes, fashion shows, commercial shoots, and even a movie premier that Mikan starred in two months before she came to Alice Academy. Yep, this past month was hectic but Mikan managed to balance everything.

The press didn't even find any hint that Hotaru was her manager, even though she was with her at every event.

But even though Mikan and Hotaru went through a hectic schedule together, they didn't seem affected. Actually, Mikan was a little hyperactive with all that's going on.

_**baka baka baka**_

" Ouch! Hotaru! What was that for?" Mikan asked while rubbing her head.

She stood up from where she fell, the wall couldn't take any more punishment.

Yuu ran to Mikan's side. " Are you all right?" He asked. He was concerned even though this happened every morning.

Mikan smiled at Yuu. " Yeah. I'm all right." She marched up to Hotaru and waited for an answer.

All Hotaru said was. " You're annoying, go away."

Mikan sadly went to her seat. Just when she went to her seat, Natsume and Ruka came through the door. They took their seats as well.

Mikan looked towards them and smiled. " Ohayo Ruka-pyon, Natsume-kun."

Ruka looked up from his bunny and replied. "Ohayo Mikan-chan."

"Hn."

Suddenly, the door opened and Narumi-sensei walked in. He looked quite happy.

" Sit down, class. I have a special announcement. It's that time of year again." He said gleefully while jumping up and down. Everyone sweatdropped.

Mikan looked around curiously.

Narumi-sensei stopped and continued. " Yep, two and a half weeks from now, we will be having the school festival. So go to your Type classes and start preparing."

By now the students were excited and getting out of hand. Narumi-sensei did his best to calm the class down. " So do your best because all classes have been suspended until the festival ends and also, can Mikan and Hotaru come with me for a moment. I have to talk to you about something."

Mikan and Hotaru followed Narumi-sensei out of the classroom, leaving the rest of the class, especially a certain crimsoned eyed boy (even though he didn't show it), wondering what Narumi-sensei could possibly want with those two.

Hotaru and Mikan followed Narumi-sensei into the faculty room and then into the secluded room where Mikan told Narumi about Hotaru becoming her manager.

The room was still the same. Mikan noticed this as she sat in the exact spot she sat a month ago. Both of the two girls waited for Narumi-sensei to start.

" Well, Mikan. The academy and I were wondering if you could make a couple appearances at the School Festival." Narumi-sensei looked at Mikan for a reply.

Mikan smiled her innocent smile and said, " Of course, I want to spend the entire festival with my friends and the S.A class, helping with our attraction. Plus I'm a student here, I have to show up anyways." Narumi-sensei sweatdropped.

Hotaru sighed and clarified." No Mikan. Narumi-sensei meant that he wants you to make a couple of CELEBRITY appearances."

5 . . .

4 . . .

3 . . .

2 . . .

1 . . .

" WHAT!!!" Mikan screamed at the top of her lungs. Narumi-sensei covered his ears while Hotaru just sat there, she already had earplugs ready.

_**baka baka baka**_

Mikan slammed against the walls. Narumi-sensei sweatdropped while the teachers that were outside wondered what happened.

Mikan took her seat again, rubbing her head. " If we do this, there might be a higher risk that everyone will find out who I really am. Plus, since Hotaru accompanies me wherever I go, everyone will find out Hotaru's my manager or at least has something to do with me. Sorry Narumi-sensei, but I'm going to decline this offer, there's too much at risk and I really want to help the S.A class as much as possible."

Narumi wanted to say something but Hotaru spoke up instead. " Mikan, think about this. If people really suspected you were the celebrity Mikan, they would have busted you already. As for me, it's not like we don't WANT anybody to know that I'm your manager. It's just that you never mentioned it and the stupid press didn't even notice. Go on Narumi-sensei, tell us the details." Hotaru said, turning to face Narumi-sensei.

Narumi-sensei sighed with relief. " Um . . . We want you to perform a song in the opening ceremony and have a mini-concert. You'll BOTH be paid 300 rabbits each for the opening ceremony and as for the concert, 3500 rabbits each. This means that Hotaru will be paid the same amount too. But we also want Mikan to make a special guest appearance in the closing ceremony when we hand out the awards. We will also grant each of you one wish. That's right, any wish that is within the power of the Academy and isn't a harm to others. So what do you think?"

Mikan looked at Hotaru, who was nodding at her. Guess it was decided. "Ok, Narumi-sensei. We'll do it."

Narumi-sensei practically jumped for joy at the answer. " Ok, can you tell me your wishes now so I can take care of it. Your agency already knows by the way. Hotaru, I need you to be in charge of the set up and advertisement and souvenir stand for Mikan's performance. Both of you will be excused from your type classes so you can start preparing and also, the night before the opening ceremony, you will live in a hotel outside the Academy so you can 'arrive' at the Academy as Mikan Sakura. A bodyguard will accompany you throughout your day or days of visit. He will meet you just before the entrance. Your room and expenses will be paid for by the Academy. Now how about you tell me your wishes." Narumi-sensei relaxed in his seat, waiting for the two girls to make their wishes.

Hotaru smirked and replied. " I want my wish to come in the amount of 5000 rabbits."

Narumi-sensei and Mikan sweatdropped. Of all the things to ask for.

" Ok . . . done." Narumi-sensei turned to Mikan. " How about you?"

Mikan thought for a moment. She was disappointed in the fact that she couldn't help the S.A class in their activity. They were going to do an RPG game. _'Hmm, what to wish for. Oh I know.'_

Mikan snapped out of her thoughts and faced Narumi-sensei, who was still quite comfortable in his seat. " For both my performances, I want the appropriate amount of points to go to the S.A type class. "

Narumi-sensei smiled. '_This girl has a really big heart.'_

" Ok, done. Well, I'll leave so you two can get to work. Please do your best." Narumi-sensei stood up and left the room.

**_Meanwhile_**

" Oi! Persona, are you there?" A crimsoned eyed boy was standing in the northern Forest, waiting for his next mission.

Suddenly, a man wearing a black coat and white mask stepped forward. "You have a new mission, you will be a personal bodyguard and gurad a celebrity that will arrive at Alice Academy on the day of the opening ceremony at 10:00am. Wait in front of the gate. Make sure nothing happens to her. You don't need to wear your mask unless you want to. This should be an easy assignment for you. Enjoy." And with that, he disappeared back into the darkness, leaving a silent Natsume standing there.

" Tch. A celebrity eh . . . how boring, but this should be a piece of cake.

Mikan and Hotaru left the room as well and headed for Mikan's place.

" What song will you sing Mikan?" Hotaru asked as she took a seat at Mikan's computer. She need to load pictures for the posters.

" I think I'll create a new song for the opening ceremony. Should I also create some songs for the concert, Hotaru?" Mikan was sitting at her drum set, music scores at hand.

" I agree with you for the opening ceremony, but for the concert, I think you should open with your hit song and finish it off with a meaningful new song. " Hotaru continued to click away at her work.

Mikan smiled. " Okay, then it's settled. I also have to make a list of songs and find the right outfits. Oh there's so much to do." Mikan squealed at this.

Hotaru decided to ignore this comment and continued to work.

By the next morning, everyone in the Academy knew that Mikan Sakura was coming to perform at Alice Academy. Everyone was excited.

Anna screamed with excitement. " Oh I can't wait. Mikan Sakura is the best. I wonder if I could get an autograph. May be I could even get a picture with her. Oh I'm so excited." She was practically jumping up and down.

Mikan secretly smiled and made a note to herself about that until she was interrupted by horrible, innocent killing, evil witch laughter. She turned around to see who it was.

" OHOHOHO!!!! As if THE Mikan Sakura would waste her time with someone the likes of you. " It was Permy, again with her annoying fanclub.

Permy continued. " You're all pathetic, thinking _you_ have any right to be with Mikan Sakura. The only person that could _possibly_ match up to such a great star would be none other than the perfect, pretty, and popular Sumire Shouda. Heck, I bet if we met each other, we would be GREAT friends, and then her agency will see me and hire me on the spot and then I'll be even more famous than Mikan Sakura and my Natsume will beg to be by my side forever." Permy's imagination has finally gotten the better of her.

Thank goodness Natsume was out on a mission at the moment, or Permy might not have a single hair left on her head, and it just grew back too.

This entire time, Mikan was trying so hard to control her laughter. Even Hotaru found it amusing and found it hard not to show any emotion at the moment.

Mikan couldn't believe that Permy hated the disguised Mikan but idolized the celebrity Mikan. If only she knew the reality of things. Not just that, She couldn't believe that Permy even described herself that way. And what's with that imagination. Holy crap, she couldn't keep her laughter inside anymore. She burst out laughing

She laughed so hard she was rolling on the floor. The entire cafeteria was looking at the rolling Mikan. She had tears in her eyes and her face was turning red just by laughing.

Now usually, Hotaru would hit Mikan with her baka gun but she didn't, seeing as she understood Mikan's point of view on the matter. Instead, the amethyst eyed girl pulled out a camcorder to record the hilarious moment.

" WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT, YOU LITTLE WANNABE!!!" Permy shouted.

Mikan was still laughing. Finally, her laughter died down as she stood up. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hotaru and her camcorder, she smiled a little towards her. She decided to have a little fun.

" First of all, you have no right to call anyone pathetic or wannabe besides yourself since those two words suit you perfectly." Mikan smirked at Permy.

" How dare you!!!" Permy was now steaming red.

" Second, the celebrity Mikan Sakura would never befriend you, no matter how _nice _you _acted_. And third, please control that imagination of yours. It's too funny. " Mikan started laughing a little at the thought of this.

" You have no right to say that, of course Mikan Sakura would befriend me and I don't need to act nice, I am nice." Wow, Permy sounded really confident just now.

Mikan replied, laughing a little. " You're far from nice and which part of you would Mikan Sakura befriend. You're nothing a like. "

"What are you talking about! I'm as pretty and as smart and as popular as Mikan Sakura, unlike you who is far from pretty." Permy said this as if she was the innocent one.

" Um, yeah, check the mirror, witch. You're NOT pretty, NOT smart and DEFINITELY NOT popular. You're lower than the ground compared to Mikan Sakura."

Permy couldn't say anything to this.

She was tongue-tied so Mikan continued. " You know I'm a genius at making predictions, and I predict that no matter what you do, she'll run from you and have the guards keep you at least 10 meters away for her. "

Mikan got back to her seat and continued to eat her breakfast.

Permy was stunned and apparently still tongue-tied. She left without saying a word but Mikan knew that she would be back.

" And CUT! " Hotaru said as she pressed the stop button on her camcorder. Everyone in the cafeteria snapped out of their blank minds and faced Hotaru. They had just witnessed another one-sided battle between Mikan and Permy ( Guess which side).

" This will make millions." Hotaru smirked evilly. Everyone sweatdropped except Mikan, she didn't care.

Anna turned her attention to Mikan, who just finished eating. "Thanks Mikan, you're such a great friend."

Mikan smiled. " You don't need to thank me. That Permy disturbed my quiet breakfast and got what she deserved. Plus she was really rude."

Anna smiled too. " But still, thanks."

Mikan replied. " I'll make another prediction, Mikan Sakura will give you an autograph, and take a picture with you during her arrival to Alice Academy just like you wanted. My predictions are never wrong by the way."

Anna blushed a little and giggled.

It was finally the night before the Alice Academy School festival. Mikan and Hotaru had their bags with them as they climbed into the limo that awaited them. Actually, Mikan had a suitcase because of her outfits. It was 5:00 pm.

They made it to the five star hotel in about half an hour. They checked into their room, which was on the top floor.

The two friends entered their suite room, it was huge. It had two king sized beds and a balcony. There was a huge dresser with mirror attached. Expensive paintings hung around the elegantly decorated room. Mikan entered their bathroom. It was a little smaller than her own bathroom but she didn't complain. The walls and tiles were cream colored. It had two sinks, a huge mirror, a spacious shower, and a gigantic bathtub. The cabinets of the bathroom table were dark, mahogany brown. The tabletops were evergreen and the knobs on the sink were gold. Everything was gleaming and smelled so fresh.

The two friends decided to eat dinner in their room that night, since they had a lot to prepare and a lot to discuss. They stayed up to late in the night when they finally finished and went to bed.

The next morning, the alarm clock rang at 7:30am. The festival would start at 10:00am but they had a lot to pack and get ready. Mikan woke up enthusiastically and got dressed.

She wore a light blue haltered sundress with flowers and butterfly prints all over it. There was a black ribbon that wrapped high on her waist. The skirt of the dress flowed out. She got a matching sunhat with a black ribbon on it's rim. She wore black flip flop sandals that had blue and purple beads sewn on. She kept her hair down, letting it cascade gracefully down to her waist.

Mikan walked out of the bathroom door to find Hotaru dressed as well. She wore layered tank tops, the one on top had the word MANAGER printed across the chest. She wore a ruffled skirt and shoes to match.

" Ohayo, Hotaru. We have a big day ahead of us. " Mikan said while trying to close her suitcase.

" Ohayo Mikan. Are you prepared for this?" Hotaru asked. She was already done packing.

" Well, even if I weren't, I don't have a choice now, so I'll give it everything I got. Hotaru, how about my guitar? "

" Oh that. It's being transported to Alice Academy as we speak. The agency hired guards to watch over it. Don't worry." Hotaru looked at Mikan with a tiny smile.

Mikan went into the kitchen and made some pancakes. They ate in comfortable silence. By the time, they finished, it was 9:20 am. They took their bags and suitcase and left the room.

Outside, people started to whisper that THE Mikan Sakura was in the hotel but Mikan and Hotaru left for the limousine sitting in front of the hotel before they could be chased by fans.

It was a short drive from the hotel to Alice Academy but to Mikan, it seemed to take forever. She was so excited and yet so scared and afraid that she and her disguise would be found out. She also really wanted to turn her little predictions into reality. She took a deep breath and sighed.

'_I have a long day ahead of me.'_ She thought, as they pulled up to the Alice Academy gates.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Arigato for reading minna. Hope you enjoyed it. By the way, the song in the last chapter is called on the ride, by Aly and Aj. Unfortunately, for some reason three lines in the beginning of the song is missing. I don't think I need to repost that chapter but I will put the entire lyrics in the next one. Please review and advise. **


	10. Chapter 10

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!!**_

The limousine jerked to a stop. Mikan looked out her window to see what happened. Standing in front of the open gates was a boy wearing a cat mask.

' _It's him.' _Mikan thought as the boy walked up to her open window. Even with the mask on, Mikan could tell the boy was around her age.

" I'm your personal bodyguard." He said.

' _Wait I recognize that voice, it can't be.' _She was now wide eyed.

Mikan didn't say anything so he continued. " My name is Natsume Hyuuga. "

She still couldn't say anything.

" Who is it, Mikan?" Hotaru came into view and looked out the window. Both Hotaru and Natsume were shocked when they saw each other.

" W-What are you doing here?" He asked. Even though he wore a mask, he couldn't hide his shock and surprise.

Hotaru became emotionless again. "I'm her manager. I'm suppose to go with her wherever she goes."

" O-Oh . . ." Was all he could reply.

This entire time, Mikan was in shock. She couldn't believe that her bodyguard would be him. Of all the people to choose from, why did it have to be him.

" Snap out of it Mikan, pretend you don't know him. Come on, we have to get out of the car like we're suppose to. Don't you want to make your predictions come true." Hotaru whispered sharply into Mikan's ear.

Mikan snapped back to reality. " N-Nice to meet you Hyuuga-kun. I have a question, what's with the mask?" They were still in the car. Mikan sounded awkward saying Natsume's name like that.

Natsume replied. " You don't have to call me Hyuuga-kun if you don't want to. And as for the mask, I don't have to wear it, so I'll take it off now." He took off his mask, revealing his features. He expected Mikan to ogle him like every other girl but she didn't.

Mikan gave a friendly smile, "Thank you Natsume-kun."

Natsume felt a slight blush coming, so he turned the other way so Mikan wouldn't notice.

Hotaru tapped Mikan on the shoulder, signaling her to get out of the car.

" Oh, I forgot." Mikan said as she opened the door.

They were now just inside the gates, which closed behind them. Everyone shouted even louder when the door opened.

Mikan stepped out of the limousine, as Hotaru followed. Everyone was so excited that the other guards were having trouble keeping them back. Even though everyone was excited to see the idol, they all wondered why Hotaru was there.

Mikan and Hotaru began to walk forward, with the limousine following. Mikan waved and flashed smiles all around. She went up to fans and signed autographs. She blew kisses at her fanclub, made up of entirely boys. They all had hearts in their eyes and fainted. Mikan was overjoyed that so many people supported her.

Suddenly, she spotted Anna, Nonoko, Yuu, Koko, and Ruka at the front of the crowd. Mikan walked over to them. Anna was holding a picture of Mikan and a permanent marker and had a camera around her neck. Mikan smiled and took the picture and permanent marker and signed it.

Anna was overjoyed, " Can I have a picture with you, Miss Sakura-san?"

Mikan smiled and replied, " Sure, come out here."

The guards let her through as Anna gave her camera to Nonoko. Anna stood next to Mikan and smiled. Mikan smiled too and the picture was taken.

" Thank you so much. It's just as she predicted." Anna said, she was practically twirling with joy.

" No problem. By the way, I love your dress. " Mikan said, recognizing it. It was the same dress that Mikan helped Anna choose on their last trip to Central Town.

Suddenly, Hotaru and Natsume approached them.

" H-Hotaru, what are you doing here?" Anna asked with bewilderment.

Nonoko, Yuu, Koko and Ruka was staring too, all waiting for an answer.

" I'm her manager, can't you read." Hotaru said, referring to her tank top. Ruka, Yuu and Koko blushed slightly. Natsume pretended he didn't hear.

" Oh, you're so lucky, Hotaru. Wait! How did you become her manager anyways?" Nonoko asked.

Hotaru smirked. " The art of blackmail gets you very far in society."

Everyone sweatdropped.

Mikan spoke up, " Well we better get going, please to meet you. I hope to see you soon. " Mikan was turned and was going to continue when suddenly a crazy fan jumped in front of her.

" Oh Mikan Sakura, can I have your autograph and get a picture with you as well, seeing as how you took one with that pathetic loser. Maybe we can even be friends." It was Sumire. How she got past the guards is beyond me but she popped out of nowhere, and nearly scared the life out of Mikan.

Mikan took a step back, when she realized what she said about Anna.

" Guards!" She screamed.

Suddenly five guards came out of nowhere and awaited their orders. Another prediction fulfilled. " Please restrain this rude girl and keep her 10 meters away, making sure she can't harm anyone. "

"Yes Ma'am!" They chorused together. They turned and dragged Permy out of the scene, who was screaming about a prediction coming true.

Mikan pretended nothing happened and continued to walk. At the end of the road was none other than Narumi-sensei and other faculty members.

Narumi-sensei smiled at the two girls. " Welcome, Mikan Sakura. It's so nice to finally meet you. Please follow me and we'll show you to a changing room. "

The Academy had cornered off a part of the school in preparation of Mikan Sakura. There was maximum security.

Narumi-sensei led Mikan with a suitcase, Hotaru and Natsume to a room. They entered. It was a little sitting room. There were chairs and everything. There was a door at the end of the room.

" You can get ready here. That door leads to a changing room. I'll come back in 20 minutes to guide you to the opening ceremony. Your instruments are already back stage." Narumi-sensei said this, then turned and left the room.

Mikan faced Natsume and smiled, catching him off guard. " Natsume-kun, can you wait here while I get ready."

Mikan went into her changing room with Hotaru following.

" Tch." Was all he replied as he took a seat.

The changing room was bigger than expected. There was a make up table and the place was brightly lit. There was no window, just in case. Mikan opened her suitcase and changed into a different outfit. Hotaru got the make up and hair supplies ready.

Mikan wore a red baby doll dress, that reached just before the knees. The top and the bottom of the dress was black rimmed. There was a black ribbon that tightened right under the bust. The skirt flowed out all the way to the end. It had large white polka dots scattered all over the skirt of the dress. She wore short black boots and a leather biker glove on her right hand.

She sat down at the make up table as Hotaru worked her magic. Hotaru combed Mikan's hair until it shone, leaving it untied.

Mikan applied mascara, blush and strawberry flavor lip gloss. She sprayed herself with a strawberry scented perfume as well and wore a silver charm bracelet.

They were done in fifteen minutes flat. Mikan looked hot, like celebrity hot. Mikan opened the door to her changing room, with a stunned Natsume facing her.

' _Damn! She looks hot. Wait, what am I saying! Isn't she suppose to be hot, I mean she's a celebrity and all, it's expected. But still, that dress is perfect, even though it exposes quite a bit of her flawless skin.'_ Natsume blushed at the thought of this. Hotaru noticed and whipped out her camera.

" Natsume, are you all right?" Mikan asked. She walked towards him and put a hand on his forehead. This made him blush even more. Hotaru took the picture.

Natsume snapped out of shock, and suddenly stood up, still blushing. Hotaru took another picture.

knock. knock.

The door opened and Narumi-sensei walked in. " Are you ready, Miss Mikan Sakura, the opening ceremony is about to start. We better get going."

"Hai!" Mikan replied happily.

Mikan and Hotaru walked out the door with Natsume following.

" Are you really ready, Mikan?" Hotaru asked. Her face was emotionless, but her voice showed signs of worry.

" As ready as I'll ever be. Don't worry. I'm know I'm going to do great. " Mikan was even more happy after she said this.

They arrived backstage just in time. The opening ceremony was held in a stadium sort of building where it was open at the top. Mikan went to her guitar and tuned it. She sung a few notes and sighed. She was as ready as she would ever be.

Narumi-sensei walked on to stage to start the opening ceremony.

Hotaru left to supervise the set up and lighting.

Outside, people were cheering and shouting that they wanted to see Mikan Sakura.

Narumi-sensei stood behind the microphone, waiting for everyone to quiet down.

" Welcome minna-san to our yearly Alice Academy School Festival. All the rules are the same as last year, where the type class that collects the most points will win. So do your best everyone. Now we have a special guest that has joined us today and will also hold a mini-concert tonight. Please help me welcome her, the one, the only, THE MIKAN SAKURA!!!!! "

Everyone burst into cheers and shouts at Mikan's name. Narumi-sensei walked off the stage.

Mikan breathed in and put on a cheery face. She already had her guitar in her hand. She ran out on to the stage, her hair trailing behind her and her dress lifting a little in the wind.

Mikan ran to the mike, she could her people shouting her name and screaming encouragements. She felt more confident than ever.

" Ohayo minna. I feel honored to be here today to help open the festival. I'll be enjoying my day here, I hope to be friends with each and everyone of you. Don't forget there's also a mini-concert tonight, I hope to see all of you there. Now, when they asked me to perform here, for the opening ceremony, I decided to dedicate a new song, just for Alice Academy and to everyone within. Here are my words of encouragement, so everyone do your best in the festival. Its called Rush. " Mikan yell in the microphone.

All her band mates were on stage and ready now, all they needed was their cue.

Mikan started to strum her guitar. The crowd got even louder.

**_Into your life, into your dreams,  
Out of the dark, sunlight again.  
You can't explain, you can't explain._**

**_Can You feel it, can you feel it,  
Rushin' through your hair,  
Rushin' through your head,  
Can you feel it, can you feel it,_**

**_Don't let nobody tell you, your life is over,  
Be every color that you are,  
Into the rush now,  
You don't have to know how,  
Know it all before you try._**

**_Pulling you in, spinning you 'round,  
Lifting your feet right off the ground,  
You can't believe it's happening now._**

**_Can You feel it, can you feel it,  
Rushin' through your hair,  
Rushin' through your head,  
Can you feel it, can you feel it,  
Don't let nobody tell you, your life is over,  
Be every color that you are,  
Into the rush now,  
You don't have to know how,  
Know it all before you try._**

**_It takes you to another place,  
imagine everything you can.  
All the colors start to blend,  
Your system overloads again._**

**_Can You feel it?_**

**_Don't let nobody tell you, your life is over,  
Be every color that you are,  
Into the rush now,  
You don't have to know how,  
Know it all before you try._**

**_Don't let nobody tell you,  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah  
Don't let nobody tell you,  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_**

**_Don't let nobody tell you, your life is over,  
Be every color that you are,  
Into the rush now,  
You don't have to know how,  
Know it all before you try_**

**_Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_**

Back stage, Natsume was stunned. Mikan's voice was perfect, it sounded so heavenly. No wonder she was such a famous celebrity. He could hear the crowd outside, they were all cheering and yelling, wanting more. From here, he could see guys practically drooling over Mikan and the way she dressed. He felt a little heated up but let go, realizing what was happening. He focused his attention back to Mikan.

" Arigato minna, do your best." She waved and left the stage, walking towards Natsume and Hotaru, who appeared out of nowhere, carrying a bottle of water and a towel.

" Wow, that was fun. How did I do Hotaru, Natsume?" She took the bottle of water from Hotaru and drank, waiting for a reply.

" You did great. I hope you can do just as well tonight." Hotaru said.

" Y-Yeah, I guess you did ok. " Natsume replied, trying not to blush.

" Thanks you guys. Let's go. I want to get changed so I can enjoy the rest of the day. I'm going to go to everything. " Mikan was jumping up and down with excitement.

Mikan walked past Natsume and straight out the door. He noticed that she smelled like strawberries, his favorite. Hotaru and Natsume headed for Mikan's change room as well.

Mikan closed the door to her change room. She took off her boots and leather glove. She couldn't wait to enjoy the festival. She decided to wear a red halter top and a pink striped, ruffled mini skirt. She chose white flip flops that had strawberries printed on it, and also a white headband with strawberry prints. She applied some more lip gloss and perfume and looked at herself. _'Perfect.'_ She thought to herself.

She opened the change room door to find Natsume and Hotaru waiting for her.

" Let's go, you guys." She said happily.

Natsume looked at the gorgeous brunette from head to toe. " So your theme is strawberries today, it matches your panties, which are strawberry printed as well." He smirked.

" Natsume, you pervert. When did you see? Tell me." Mikan screamed this. She suddenly developed an urge to kill him.

" When you ran on the stage. The wind blew your skirt up a little and gave me a nice sight." Natsume was still smirking.

" Well, let's go. I don't have all day." He got up and walked out the door, his hands behind his head.

" YOU PERVERT!!!" Mikan screamed behind him.

Hotaru dragged Mikan out the door.

They decided to go the Somatic type attractions first. Surprisingly, not many fans chased Mikan when they realized who she was. Maybe it was because her bodyguard was Natsume, who glared every boy off.

There, they saw Ruka handing out balloons, in a bunny costume. He was blushing like crazy while girls admired him from afar. Mikan laughed her head off, while Natsume tried his best not to laugh as Hotaru whipped out her camera and started taking numerous pictures of him.

" Imai-san!!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. The children that were surrounding him ran away screaming.

" Awe! You scared all the little children away. How can you be so mean?" Hotaru teased.

Ruka was quite pissed. Yep, he was an angry rabbit.

" Calm down, Nogi-san. You're scaring more than just kids. " Mikan said as she noticed people all around whimpering in fear and staring at the hot-crossed bunny.

Ruka looked at Mikan and slightly blushed. He couldn't help it, she was so beautiful.

Natsume noticed this and felt a pang of jealousy.

Suddenly, kids came running at Ruka, asking for a balloon. Hotaru snapped more pictures but this time Ruka didn't get mad. Actually he didn't notice because he was too busy handing out balloons.

Mikan whispered to Hotaru and Natsume. " We should get out of here. He seems busy and we don't want to disturb him. Plus, I'm hungry. Let's go."

The three of them left Ruka and headed towards a food stand.

Mikan ordered a yakisoba, takoyaki and a drink. Hotaru ordered a can of fried crab brains while Natsume ordered a drink.

They decided to eat beside the gym, where no one could see them and they could eat in peace and quiet.

" Mmm . . . that was delicious." Mikan had just finished eating all her food.

Hotaru was still munching on her crab brains while Natsume was drinking. "Wow, that was quick." They both said at the same time.

"I'm going to throw these away. I think I saw a trash bin back there." Mikan got up and dusted her skirt. She grabbed her garbage and turned the corner, disappearing from their view.

Mikan spotted the trash bin when she turned the corner. She put her things in the trash and turned around.

A couple boys stood in front of her. They were all taller and Mikan suspected that they were also older.

One of the boys stepped forward, he was the best looking one but had an evil glint in his eyes. " Mikan Sakura, you're my idol. I'm your biggest fan, why don't we go somewhere quiet so we can get to know each other better." He winked as he said this.

Mikan felt his Alice activate, it was probably some pheromone Alice. Mikan quickly activated hers as well. She was quite angry.

Suddenly, the guy grabbed her arm, thinking that his Alice worked.

Mikan shook it off, now visibly seething.

" Hey, what's wrong? My Alice should have worked. Oh well, grab her guys." He directed.

Mikan got into her fighting stance and beat each boy to a pulp. She didn't know that a certain shocked and surprised crimson-eyed boy was watching the entire thing.

Mikan stepped away from the boys, who were now knocked out, and ran in the direction she came from. She suddenly stopped when she spotted Natsume standing at the corner of the building.

'_St! Don't tell me he saw everything. It can't be, it must be a coincidence.' _She just stood there. She tried to move, but her body was in shock when she saw Natsume.

Natsume walked towards Mikan, until he was directly in front of her.

Suddenly, Hotaru came out of nowhere, an empty crab can in her hand. She ran up to the stunned Mikan and the silent Natsume.

" What took you so long?" She saw the boys lying on the ground a couple meters away and turned her attention back to the silent figures. She gasped.

Natsume ignored her and stared into the brunette's chocolate eyes, as if he saw right through her. "Little girl, is that who you really are?"

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**Arigato for reading minna. The song is call Rush and it's also by Aly and Aj. Hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and advise. **


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!!**_

The can Hotaru was holding, slipped and fell to the ground. The sound it made echoed as it reached the floor. Hotaru and Mikan stood there in shock.

Natsume waited for an answer ,though he knew he had already figured everything out. He wondered what took so long and decided to check on her. When he turned the corner, he saw those guys surround Mikan. He was about to attack when he saw one of the guys grab her arm. She shook it away quickly and the guys came at her. She got into her stance, the same as when he fought the other Mikan Sakura, and beat each and everyone of themEverything seemed to make sense, right then and there. Natsume was shocked at what he just realized. was it possible for two people to have the same name, same hair color and the same, unique fighting style. She had to be her, it was the only explanation. There was no such thing as coincidence in this world, especially considering these circumstances.

Hotaru and Mikan continued to stand there, as if frozen. They couldn't believe they were busted already, what were they going to do?

" W-What are you talking about, who e-else c-could I possibly b-be?" Mikan tried her best to throw him off like she did with Hotaru at that time, but again she failed miserably.

Natsume was unaffected by this comment and decided to back up his little accusation. " She has to be you, you have to be her, it all makes sense. You both have the same name, same hair color and length, and the same fighting stance, which not many people have. Plus, no one has seen her since yesterday. It also makes sense on how Hotaru became your manager, considering if she blackmailed you, it would only be possible if you were nearby and actually was in Alice Academy. "

'_Crap! He found out, what am I going to do? I mean, for Hotaru, I begged her to give her anything and it worked, but this is Natsume. He's a top star as well, he could get anything he wanted. Bribing him not to tell won't work, he'll just laugh. I'm doomed!!!' _Mikan thought, she was scared. Two people have already found out who she is, what's next?!?"

Suddenly, Hotaru sighed. "Mikan, you can't fool him anymore, he figured it out already." She turned her emotionless amethyst eyes towards Natsume. " I guess you'll want to know everything, and you'll also keep quiet about this as well."

" Tch. I don't really care if you do tell me and I'll judge for myself whether to keep quiet or not, so you better tell me everything." So much for not caring.

" Fine, let's go back to where we were before." Hotaru said and started to make her way back, with Natsume and Mikan following. She was quiet the entire time, still in her state of shock but was aware of what was going on.

They sat where they sat before and was quiet for a moment.

Natsume got impatient and broke the silence. " Well!"

Hotaru faced Mikan, "Mikan, I think you should start."

Mikan didn't reply, actually she didn't hear the amethyst eyed girl.

" MIKAN!" This broke Mikan out of her trance.

" Y-Yeah!" She said, facing Hotaru.

" I said, I think you should start." Even Hotaru was getting impatient.

" O-Oh yeah . . . . where to begin?" Mikan scratched her, trying to think.

Natsume stared at her like she was stupid. " How about you start talking about _why_ you transferred to Alice Academy in the first place. "

" Oh! That's a great idea." Mikan flashed Natsume a smile, who was caught off guard by this (ironic, isn't it). " Well, I've always been taught by my tutors and the agency decided that I should spend time with people my age. So they enrolled me here. I wanted to be a normal student, which means not chased by fans and just left alone, so I wore a disguise. As for Hotaru becoming my manager, she busted me the day after we had our first battle. She asked to 'pose' as my manager so I hired her. So we're both balancing school life and celebrity life and here we are now. " Wow, that was quick.

" That's all. You just wanted to be a normal student. I thought it was going to be something more dramatic since you're a celebrity." Natsume rolled his eyes at the thought of this.

" Well, excuse-me for not being exciting enough, but for me this is already amazing. You know how long I've always wanted to be a normal teenager and student. Who isn't chased by fans or the press, or having to work my butt off everyday and only getting 12 hours of sleep per week, or getting rumors and scandals started about me, or not having people admire me like I'm some kind of god. I 'm so happy right now just being a normal student, that I would give up my entire celebrity-hood if I wanted too." Okay, so maybe Mikan was over exaggerating but she was pissed, could she help it.

Natsume was taken aback by what he just said. " Oh!" Was all he could reply. He didn't think that being a celebrity would have so many down sides to it.

It grew silent again but this time, Hotaru broke the silence." So, what are you going to do with Mikan's secret, are you going to pretend it never happened or let Koko blab it out to the entire Academy?" Hotaru got up.

Both Mikan and Natsume stared at her. " What are you doing?" They both asked.

" I need to use the ladies room, have a nice chat while I'm gone, and don't leave this spot while I'm away." Hotaru turned the corner and left Mikan and Natsume alone.

They continued to sit in silence. Mikan tried to distract herself by looking at the scenery, which wasn't a lot. She could hear birds softly twittering in trees as if nothing happened. She could smell the food she had just eaten, still lingering in the air. There was no wind but maybe that's because they were sitting right beside a building. It was just past lunch time, so the sun was high in the sky, making the building cast a comforting shadow over them. She sighed softly, it was so relaxing.

" M-Mikan." He barely whispered.

Mikan whipped her head around to face Natsume, who was hiding his face with his hair. What did he say? Not once since her arrival here had she heard him say her name, heck she didn't hear him say any girl's name, even if they were all fan girls.

" Y-Yes." She whispered back.

Still hiding his face with his bangs, he softly murmured, only loud enough for Mikan to hear. " I'll protect you and your secret."

Natsume looked up to see the brunette's expression.

Mikan smiled, and hugged him, making him blush a darker color than his eyes. "Oh! Thank you Natsume. You're the best." She was completely oblivious to the blush.

She let go of him, still smiling. His blush was disappearing quickly.

Suddenly, Hotaru came out of nowhere, a camcorder in her hand. " I'll take your word for it then, Hyuuga. Don't ever go breaking your word. If you make Mikan cry, I'll do the same to you."

It took a moment for Natsume to realize what she was talking about. "I don't go back on my word, and you know I'm very good at keeping my promises."

Mikan gave a questionable look at Hotaru and Natsume, wondering what either of them meant. She was so dense.

They decided to visit the rest of the attractions. Mikan got up and dusted her skirt. " Ne Natsume. "

Natsume turned his attention to Mikan, the sight of her made him slightly blush, but he hid it.

Mikan smiled, " Tonight, for my concert, I'm going to dedicate my last song to you, of course the audience won't know that it's you I'm talking about."

Natsume blushed even more, still trying his best to hide it. Obviously, his best wasn't enough because Hotaru took out her camera and started to take pictures. Natsume glared at Hotaru, she was completely unaffected.

The three friends went to the rest of the attractions. Fans came running after Mikan, correction, BOYS came running after Mikan, the girls couldn't even get close, even if they were really big fans. Natsume death glared each one off and burned them. Hotaru shot some with her baka gun while Mikan was oblivious to this, even though it happened all before her eyes.

The concert was going to start at 7:30 pm. Mikan, Hotaru, and Natsume went to Mikan's changing room at 7:00 pm. They had already been to every attraction.

Mikan and Hotaru closed the door to the changing room, leaving Natsume in the sitting room once again. It was time for Mikan to change into her first concert outfit. For the entire mini-concert, she would wear two different outfits, the second outfit would be saved for the last song, it was special.

Mikan changed from her red halter and pink skirt into a light blue one-strap top with white outlined and pink stars printed on it. She wore white shorts and a pink biker glove on her right hand. She wore the same black boots as this morning. She also wore a bracelet but it was on the other hand. Hotaru tied Mikan's hair into a high ponytail. Mikan added mascara and blush, as well as small amounts of glitter on her cheek. She put on more lip gloss and perfume as well.

Hotaru and Mikan grabbed the excess clothing and stuffed it into the suitcase, making sure that her second outfit was on top, along with the proper accessories. Mikan scanned the room one last time to make sure she didn't forget anything. It was spotless.

Hotaru checked her watch, it read 7:20 pm. They should hurry, there were still some final adjustments to be made.

" You ready?" Hotaru asked. She had her hand on the changing room doorknob.

" Yep. I can't wait, I'm going to sing my heart out tonight." Mikan was holding her suitcase, if she wasn't she probably would fly away with excitement.

Hotaru turned the doorknob.

Outside, Natsume was sitting in the exact same spot that he sat that morning. The door opened and Hotaru and Mikan stepped out. But Natsume was more focused on Mikan. He blushed a little at the sight of her. Her outfit was perfect. It showed off her curves and the way she put her hair up added to the heat. He forced his eyes away as he stood up, trying to keep the blush away.

" Well, let's go. That concert thing is going to start soon." He said, opening the door.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Mikan was going to perform in the same stadium that she performed this morning, thank goodness it was a short walk. They entered through the backdoor, only to be greeted by Narumi-sensei.

" Miss Sakura, how nice to see you again. Come, I'll show you to the change room. I hope you had an exciting day today. Did you enjoy yourself on your visit here?" Narumi-sensei was putting on an act for Natsume. No one else was around them.

Mikan sighed. " You can drop the act Narumi-sensei. Natsume knows."

Narumi-sensei suddenly had a change of face and stared at Natsume.

" It's true. I found her out." Natsume could sense that his gay homeroom teacher was shock and felt awkward about the situation.

Narumi-sensei didn't know what to do so he led them to Mikan's changing room in silence. He also left that way too.

Mikan and Hotaru entered, not bothering to close the door. Natsume stood outside, keeping watch. Mikan opened her suitcase, pulling out her second outfit and hung it on the rack. Hotaru organized Mikan make up and hair supplies. They finished their preparation in 10 seconds flat.

" Well, I need to make some final set up to the stage. You know when and where you're starting right?" Hotaru asked.

Mikan nodded as a reply. She wanted to save her voice, eventhough it was only one word.

" Break a leg." Hotaru turned and left.

Mikan took a deep breath and left too, with Natsume following. Backstage, people were running back and forth, obviously on Hotaru's orders. Mikan went to her guitar and played a few notes. She sung a few notes after she tuned it. She was as ready as ever.

She looked at a nearby clock, 5 minutes 'till show time. She stood up, recalling the songs that she'll be singing.

2 minutes left.

" Natsume, you can stand by the side of the stage. I have to appear in the middle as the curtains open, so you can't accompany me." She pointed to the spot where she needed to be.

" See-ya!" she ran off waving and smiling and disappeared from view.

30 seconds left.

Narumi-sensei appeared. He was going to introduce Mikan again. Outside people were cheering and shouting already. It was dark already. The stage was dark as well.

5 . . .

4 . . .

3 . . .

2 . . .

1 . . .

Narumi-sensei ran out onto the stage, the spotlight followed him as he ran to the mike.

" Good-night everyone! I hope you enjoyed the first day of the School Festival. Now, make some noise and welcome our guest, MIKAN SAKURA!!!" Narumi-sensei ran off the stage as it went pitch black.

Fog came out of nowhere and surrounded the stage making everything on stage blurry for a moment. Mikan appeared suddenly, while strumming her guitar. Her band mates were all ready in place. She began to sing as she stepped up to the mike. The crowd was going crazy.

We'll laugh 'til we cry  
Read each others minds  
Live with a smile  
Make it all worthwhile  
Make it all worthwhile

Life has moments hard to describe  
Feeling great and feeling alive  
Never coming down from this  
Mountain we're on

Always knowing we're gonna be fine  
Feeling great and feeling alive  
Never coming down from this  
Mountain were on  
The view is so clear  
And it's crazy up here  
Life is amazing with you on the ride

We don't wanna sleep  
Just wanna stay up  
There's so much to say  
And not enough hours in the day

We'll laugh 'til we cry  
Read each others minds  
Live with a smile  
Make it all worthwhile  
Make it all worthwhile

Life has moments hard to describe  
Feeling great and feeling alive  
Never coming down from this  
Mountain we're on

Always knowing we're gonna be fine  
Feeling great and feeling alive  
Never coming down from this  
Mountain were on  
The feelings so clearAnd it's crazy up here  
Life is amazing with you on the ride

No time to be lazy  
The journey is perfect  
The pace is so crazy  
The race is so worth it  
I will be with you  
We'll do this together  
Always together

Life has moments hard to describe  
Feeling great and feeling alive  
Never coming down from this  
Mountain we're on  
(Mountain we're on)

Always knowing we're gonna be fine  
Feeling great and feeling alive  
Never coming down from this  
Never comin' down  
Never comin' down  
Never comin' down (from this)

Always knowing were gonna be fine  
Feeling great and feeling alive  
Never coming down from this  
Mountain were on  
(Never coming down from this)

Everyone cheered louder than ever as Mikan proceeded to the next song. Backstage, Hotaru was busy with the effects and sound and didn't have much free time. Natsume stood where he could see Mikan perfectly, but no one could see him. He listened enthusiastically, and at the same time secretly admired her figure. Ugh . . . what was he thinking, as he mentally slapped himself out of his thoughts.

On stage, Mikan was having the time of her. She put her heart in every word that passed her lips.

Finally it was almost time for the last song. After she sang the last verse, everything would go pitch black and Mikan would run back stage and change quickly. She would make a speech behind curtains as the crew got ready for the final song.

_**You, you're always there for meWhen I need you most  
Day and night you're by my side  
Protecting me  
Protecting me**_

Suddenly, everything went pitch black. Mikan could hear a few screams as she ran to the changing room and changed. Hotaru was all ready there.

Mikan kicked off her boots and tore off clothes and glove, slipping into a white tank top that had gold confetti sewn on it. She wore a white layered miniskirt. Each layer had a gold confetti on the edge. She put on white high heels that also had glitter on it. Hotaru undid Mikan's ponytail, letting it fall and combed it quickly, each strand fell into place. Mikan put on some glitter gold mascara and ran back, still behind the curtains.

She held the microphone in her hand and spoke. " Thank you minna-san for such a wonderful day. I enjoyed myself like I never did before. "

Out side everyone looked around the stage for the famous brunette. The stage was still pitch black so no one could see her.

Mikan continued, she could hear more cheering, giving her heart. "Unfortunately, everything comes to an end eventually. So I will sing for you one more song. This a new song that I just wrote and recently dedicated to someone special. I hope you'll be listening, wherever you are."

The people backstage were done setting up, they had added movable steps in the middle of the stage. Mikan began to climb to the top where her guitar was. This time, there was no microphone but a head set. She put it on. Everything was ready.

" And without further adieu, I perform for you my last song for this evening. It's called Shine. "

She started to strum her guitar. The curtain opened as the stairs Mikan was standing on, moved forward. There was a bit of fog to create the effect as well. Bright and intense spotlights shone down on Mikan, making the confetti on her outfit sparkle. She looked like an angel who was just beamed to Earth.

Natsume was stunned by her beauty and listened to her matching, angelic voice.

You shine when others need you  
You speak and I believe you  
I know the light, it guides you  
I'll join the line that walks behind you

You shine, you shine  
Like a window to your heart I see  
All the possibilities  
You shine, you shine  
And everyday's another opportunity  
To shine

The way you see the world  
The way it sees you back  
You're the photographer  
You take the photograph  
If you don't like the way  
The way it looks at you  
You've got all the power to choose  
Turn right, turn left, turn the other way  
Make it light, make it dark, make it go away  
I love the way you write the script to your own life  
You're the star, you're on tonight

And when I feel unnoticed  
Just two steps back from hopeless  
You turn my world around with a single smile  
That's who you are, that's who you are

You shine, you shine  
Like a window to your heart I see  
All the possibilities  
You shine, you shine  
And everyday's another opportunity  
To shine

Mikan took a bow as everyone cheered their loudest. The stage went pitch black suddenly, signaling the end of the concert. Everyone knew this and continued to cheer anyways.

Backstage, Mikan was exhausted, but incredibly happy. Her smile proved it. She saw Natsume and Hotaru standing by her changing room.

" You did great Mikan." Hotaru said. Even though her face was as emotionless as ever, she was quite happy herself, most likely from the money she earned off the souvenir stands outside.

" Thanks!" Mikan replied and turned to Natsume. " How did you like my song."

Natsume blushed a little, and looked away. " It was good." He was barely heard.

Mikan flashed him another smile.

She went into her change room and changed into a simple t-shirt and jeans. She also put her disguise back on. People would believe that she left the Academy in the limo but she was actually going to sneak back to her dorm room.

Together, the three walked outside. Outside, the stars and moon was out. Nobody was around so it was peacefully quiet. There was a cool breeze but Mikan didn't feel cold at all. Instead she felt relaxed, wondering about what would happen tomorrow.

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**Arigato for reading minna-san. Please review and advise. **


	12. Chapter 12

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!! **_

" _M-Mikan." He barely whispered. _

_Hiding his face with his bangs, he softly murmured, only loud enough for Mikan to hear. " I'll protect you and your secret." _

Mikan opened her eyes, a smile crept on her face as she remembered the events from the other day. Mikan sat up and rubbed her eyes. There was sunlight peeking through the curtains, signaling a new day. Mikan looked around her room, still on her bed.

For some reason, this reminded her of the morning she got up and left for Alice Academy. Back then, she would have never thought so much could happen in a month.

She got up and went to the bathroom. It was the second day of the Alice Academy festival, there was still three days to go.

Mikan took a relaxing shower and changed. She decided to wear a cream color, tight-fitting printed t-shirt. She wore jean capris and white sandals. She put on her disguise and left the room.

Mikan went to the dining hall to find all her friends all ready there. She got her breakfast and sat down as well.

" Where were you yesterday?" Ruka asked, feeding his rabbit some carrots.

They all faced to Mikan, waiting for an answer. Okay, maybe not everyone, Natsume pretended he didn't care and continued to eat his breakfast while Hotaru just continued what she was doing.

Mikan looked up from her breakfast and smiled. " Where do you think. I had a mission and it ended last night."

They all turned back to their food except Anna." You know the predictions you made the other day, Mikan. It came true, even the one you made for Sumire. "

Mikan faced her and smiled." I told you it would come true."

" Yeah, well, thanks. I feel so happy right now, I can't even begin to describe it. I hung her autograph above my bed and I made copies of the picture and hung it all around my room." Anna was acting like an obsessive fan.

Mikan continued to smile. She was happy because Anna was happy, but at the same time, kind of freaked out. " I wonder how Permy's feeling?"

" Who are you calling Permy?" Well speak of the devil.

Mikan turned around, rolling her eyes. She couldn't believe that _Permy_ would disturb her at breakfast, again. Hasn't she learned her lesson yet.

Mikan sighed and said, sounding as bored as she could. " What do you want?"

For some reason, Permy seemed to be caught in a corner, trying to hide something the behind her back." N-Nothing." She said, straightening up. " I just wanted to tell you my name wasn't Permy. T-That's all."

Mikan smirked, Permy froze on the spot. " I heard about what happened yesterday, Permy. Disappointed?"

Permy kept quiet but glared daggers at Mikan, who was completely unaffected by this so she continued. " Didn't I tell you the other day of what would happen. Looks like someone didn't heed my prediction. Oh well, not my fault."

Permy continued to glare daggers. " You think you're all that , don't you Mikan Sakura. Well, you're not. You're some loser wannabe who's more spoiled than a pig in a pigpen. I'll get you someday." Permy marched off, out the door to who knows where.

Mikan turned back to her breakfast. "So, what are we going to do today?"

Yuu replied first. " I'm working at the Haunted House the entire day. Sorry, Mikan."

Anna started to talk as well. "I'm working at a cafe with Nonoko, sorry."

Koko faced Mikan. "I'm a magician so I'm putting on a show, come by to see, it's on all day. Sorry, I can't go with you."

Mikan seemed a little disappointed but she smiled anyways. "It's ok, you're all busy. I understand. So are you still handing out balloons in that rabbit costume again, Ruka?"

Ruka looked up, embarrassed and confused. "Yeah, I am. Wait, how did you know, if you were on a mission."

'_Crap!'_ Mikan thought quickly and put on an innocent smile. " Oh! Last night, when I was heading to my room, I saw Hotaru with some pictures. She accidentally dropped one, so I picked it up and gave it back to her. I happened to see it when I picked it up. You were very cute, plus you were blushing like crazy. I'll drop by to see the real live one today, don't worry."

Ruka turned red, hiding his eyes with his bangs. Hotaru suddenly had an evil glint in his eyes and whipped out her camera. She started taking pictures as everyone sweatdropped.

" IMAI-SAN!!!" Ruka yelled. He ran out of the room. Too lazy to follow, Hotaru took her seat once again.

Mikan put her fork down. " So I guess I'll hang out with Hotaru and Natsume then."

Hotaru faced Mikan, her eyes still containing an evil glint. " Actually, I'm opening a stand so I can sell more of Ruka's pictues. I'm also going to sell the rest of the souvenirs from last night."

" Eeee!!! I bought one of everything last night." Anna happily squealed. Everyone sweatdropped again.

Mikan sighed. " So, I'm only going to hang with Natsume huh?" She somehow seemed disappointed. " Oh well, let's enjoy ourselves to the fullest today, right Natsume?" Wow, what a sudden change in attitude.

Natsume looked away. "Tch. Who said I was going to spend my day with you."

Hotaru looked up from her work. "You should go. You don't want anything to happen to her now, do you?"

Natsume stared into her very persuasive, and cold amethyst eyes. "Like I give a damn to what happens to her." He was unaffected by her eyes.

Hotaru still had the same look on her face. " Do you need me to remind you of yesterday." She held up a camcorder, her finger was hovering above the _play_ button .

" Tch." Damn, he was cornered. " Fine, I'll spend the day with this little girl over here."

Natsume looked over to where Mikan was sitting, only to discover that she wasn't there. "Um . . . . where is she, by the way?" He asked, sounding annoyed.

Yuu, Anna, Nonoko and Koko looked around the dining room, none of them could see Mikan. Only Hotaru wasn't looking as she put away her camcorder.

" I can't see her, can you?" Nonoko asked, her eyes were still scanning the room.

" No, I can't. Maybe she went to the washroom." Koko said. "Let's wait for her."

Everyone sat there for 15 minutes. They started to worry. What could be taking her so long in the washroom.

Yuu tried to stay positive. "Maybe she's outside waiting for us, we should check."

They walked outside to the entrance, they didn't see her. They decided to go up to her room to see if she was there.

Yuu knocked on her door. It didn't take long since they had all been to her room before, of course, none of them had ever been inside, except Hotaru, but they don't know this.

Mikan opened the door. For some reason, she was clutching one pigtail in her hand. She seemed surprised to see them.

"What are you guys doing here?" She asked.

" You disappeared suddenly, so we came to find you. Um . . . . are you alright?" Replied a concerned Yuu.

" Oh, one of my elastic snapped so I came up to get another one." Mikan smiled her innocent smile, unaware of the trouble her friends went through to find her.

" Oi! Baka, why didn't you tell us?" Natsume asked, leaning on the door.

Mikan gave him a curious look. "Well, you and Hotaru seemed like you didn't want to be disturbed from your conversation so I whispered to Koko that I needed to go to my room quickly to get something. Didn't he tell you?"

Everyone shot glares at Koko, who seemed to shrink considerably in this situation.

He scratched the back of his head. "Hehe, I guess I forgot. Sorry."

" But Mikan, what's taking you so long?" Anna asked.

" I was trying to find an elastic. I just found it when you guys knocked on my door. You can wait in the living room, I'll just take a sec." Mikan ran back to her bathroom, leaving the door wide open for Yuu, Anna, Nonoko, Koko, Hotaru and Natsume to step in.

The living room was right next to the door, so it wasn't hard to find. They all took a seat and looked around. Everything was so neat and tidy, and it seemed to be sparkling too. They, excluding Natsume and Hotaru, stared in amazement. There was a plasma tv, with surround sound and all the latest game consoles. The room was richly furnished and the chairs and couches were extremely comfy.

Suddenly, Mikan ran in, her hair fixed. She seemed excited about the new day. "Well, we should get going. Since you guys have so much stuff to do, I'm spending the day with Natsume right?" She asked, making sure.

" Yeah, well, let's go down together." Yuu replied happily.

" By the way, Mikan, your living room is beautiful, can we come back again sometime?" Nonoko asked, her eyes swiftly glancing around the room.

Mikan smiled at Nonoko. "Sure, drop by anytime."

They parted ways in front of the dormitory, leaving Mikan pondering where to go first.

_**Meanwhile**_

" I can't stand that wannabe, we have to get back at her."

They were in the Northern Forest, where they wouldn't be overheard. Suddenly, they could hear footsteps, they turned around to a girl trotting towards them.

She was panting quite heavily. " Shouda sama, I just overheard in the dining hall that Mikan Sakura will be spending the day with Natsume-kun."

" WHAT!!" Sumire yelled, scaring the birds out of the trees. "How dare she force Natsume-kun to waste HIS precious time with her. The nerve of her. Now our payback will have to be kept secret from Natsume-kun, making sure that he's not hurt in the process."

" YES, MA'AM!!" All the fanclub members stood up and saluted, then ran off in different directions to fulfill their tasks.

Sumire was the only one left. "We'll get you for this, Mikan Sakura." She truly hated Mikan Sakura, even the ground she walked on. How dare she do this to Sumire Shouda, she'll pay.

In the end, Mikan and Natsume decided to go wherever their feet led them. They enjoyed cakes at the cafe where Anna and Nonoko worked. They watched Koko's magic show, they had to admit, he was good. They went to the Haunted House where Mikan screamed her head off at the illusions that Yuu showed them.

Finally, they went to the Somatic attractions, where they found Ruka dressed up in his bunny suit, handing out balloons. Hotaru's stand was nearby, so she could take more pictures if she needed to. There was a huge line-up in front of her stand.

"Hey, Hotaru. How's business." Mikan asked.

Hotaru smirked, dollar signs popping out of her eyes. " This is the best day of my life." She said as she held out wads of cash.

Everyone sweatdropped. " Ehehe, glad to hear it." Mikan said, still sweatdropping.

Mikan and Natsume walked over to Ruka, who was surrounded by children.

" Ruka-pyon, you look so cute in that costume, just like in the picture." Mikan squealed.

" Uh . . .arigato, I think." Ruka said, blushing at the word 'cute'.

" Onii-chan!" Suddenly, a child ran into the arms of Natsume. He had silver hair, and he looked around the age of ten.

Mikan stared at them both with curiosity. "Who is he?"

Ruka replied, still handing out balloons. " He's Youichi, he's like a younger brother to Natsume. He's ten and is a Dangerous Ability type. Beware, he can summon demons, so don't make him mad."

Youichi let go of Natsume and ran to Ruka, he noticed Mikan, but he didn't really care. "Can I have a balloon, uncle Ruka?"

Ruka smiled and handed him a balloon, "Sure!"

Youichi's teal colored eyes landed on Mikan as he turned from Ruka.

" Konichiwa You-chan." Mikan said, smiling.

Youichi eyes got wide. "Mikan Sakura."

This caught the attention of Natsume and Mikan.

'_How did he know my name, did someone tell him? Did he mean the celebrity me when he said that?' _Mikan lost her smile, but didn't know how to reply.

Ruka came to her rescue, even though he didn't know it. "Yes, her name is Mikan Sakura. She has the same name as your idol. Isn't that a coincidence?"

Youichi didn't believe this though. He walked to Mikan, who kneeled so they could look eye to eye. He whispered into Mikan's ear, "I don't believe that lie. I know Mikan Sakura when I see her, you have the same smile. Don't worry, I'll play along for now."

Mikan's eyes grew wide as she heard this. She looked at Youichi, the little genius who saw through her disguise at first glance.

Youichi looked back at Mikan, this time though, his eyes were different. "Can you be my Onee-chan?"

" S-Sure." Mikan unknowingly replied. '_What just happened?'_

Youichi smiled and gave the brunette a hug. He was so happy that he could secretly hug his idol.

Mikan snapped out of her thoughts and smiled and Youichi. "I'd love to be your onee-chan, You-chan."

Mikan stood up and dusted her skirt. This whole time, Natsume watched in silence. He knew exactly what Youichi was thinking. The teal eyed boy saw through Mikan's disguise but was willing to keep her secret.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Permy came running towards them. She seemed like she was in a hurry.

" You-chan, come to your mommy!" She squealed.

Youichi backed off, holding on to Mikan's hand. "Back off, hag."

Mikan sweatdropped at the insult. _'Ouch!' _She thought, she actually felt a sort of bad for Permy.

Sumire ignored this and flashed a flirtatious smile towards both Natsume and Ruka. They both felt chills go down their spines.

Permy turned her attention to Mikan, a small glint of hatred flashed in her eyes. "Oi Sakura, Narumi-sensei wants to talk to you."

Mikan replied, "Sure, let's go, Natsume, You-chan."

Permy suddenly stopped them. "N-NO! Um . . . . Narumi-sensei wants you to come alone."

" Oh! Ok then, lead the way." Mikan was kind of disappointed but she understood.

She followed Permy, waving good byes to Natsume, Youichi and Ruka, as well as Hotaru, but I don't think she was paying attention.

" You better go after her." Hotaru ordered, facing her cold, demanding eyes at Natsume.

" I know. This seems a little suspicious . Let's go Youichi." Natsume and Youichi left, following Mikan.

" Ne, Permy. Where are we going? The faculty room is the other way." They had just turned a corner, heading down a path that leads deep into the Northern Forest. Even Mikan knew that it was quite dangerous in there, and not many students dared to tread there.

Permy replied as innocently as she could. 'Oh! Narumi-sensei told me to take you here. So just shut up and follow."

Mikan felt suspicious of Permy's actions, so she decided to keep her guard up, not realizing that a certain raven-haired boy and a teal eyed boy were following them. Both of their suspicions rose with each step they took.

Suddenly, they stopped in the middle of the forest. It was dark because the trees blocked the sunlight from passing. It was quiet, too quiet. There should at least be chirping, but there wasn't a sound.

" Um . . .Permy, I don't see Narumi-sensei anywhere." Her guard was still unconsciously up.

Permy turned around to face her. "I can't believe that you're a special star when you're so f#kin' dumb. We're going to have a little fun. We're finally going to get the payback we so richly deserve, and the best part, no on will come to your rescue, since no one can hear you." She practically had the word 'evil' plastered all over her face.

Suddenly, the entire fanclub came up and surrounded Mikan, they all had weapons in their hands. Were they planning to kill her or something.

Behind the bushes, a pair of crimson eyes were glaring at the fanclub girls, a smaller pair of teal eyes joined him. Youichi wanted to stop them but Natsume stopped him, telling him that Mikan can take care of herself. Of course they will come out if something happens.

Mikan looked around and smirked and activated her Alice all around. Even though she wasn't expecting this, she was surely looking forward to it. "You think that you and your fanclub can tear me down. In your dreams." She said while getting into her stance.

Permy smirked as well, thinking that she had the upper hand. "Well, my dream's about to become a reality. Look around you, you're surrounded. There's nothing you can do, no matter how well you know how to fight. Consider this as payback for all those time you pissed me off and wasted Natsume's precious time. Attack her."

On her command, all the girls attacked. _'Too easy.'_ Mikan thought as she attacked all that came at her. There were like fifty girls there and they attacked all at the same time, but Mikan took each and everyone one of them out.

In two minutes flat, every fanclub member was lying unconscious on the ground. The only one left was a shocked Permy.

Mikan cracked her knuckles and smirked, as Permy gulped and began to back away. "Was this a part of your dream?"

Permy gulped again and continued to back away. She tripped on a rock and landed with a 'thud' on the ground.

Mikan stood before her. "I'm a forgiving person so I'll forgive you this time."

Mikan turned to leave. The minute her back was turned, Permy whipped out a stick and aimed it at Mikan's back. Mikan caught her wrist, this time Mikan's gaze shot daggers as she peered into Permy's shakened eyes.

"What did I say. If you don't like me, you shouldn't resort to lowlife violence. So as punishment, I hope you have a nice nap." Mikan pressed the back of Permy's head. Her entire body relaxed and slumped to the floor as her eyes closed shut.

Mikan stood back up and dusted her skirt. " Natsume, You-chan. I know you were there the whole time. Thanks for not interrupting."

Youichi and Natsume appeared out of a bush.

Youichi ran to Mikan and gave her a hug. "You were amazing Mikan onee-chan. If only you didn't have to wear that disguise, but then I wouldn't have you all to myself."

Mikan blushed slightly. "Thanks You-chan. So, what are you guts doing here?"

Natsume looked at the scattered fanclub girls lying on the floor. This is the most quiet they've ever been. "That manager of yours told me to."

"Oh!" Mikan was kind of disappointed that Natsume didn't come here of his own free will. Suddenly, her frown turned upside down as an idea popped up in her head.

"Ne, do you guys have a paper and pen?" Mikan asked, an mischievous spark appeared in her eyes.

" I do!" Youichi reached into his pocket and gave her a small pen and a clean paper napkin.

" Thank you You-chan." Mikan smiled and took it. She turned her back to them and wrote something on the napkin. She grabbed a rock and placed it on top of the napkin as a paperweight. She put it in front of Permy.

Natsume read the paper and smirked. "Ain't that a little cruel?"

Mikan handed the pen back to Youichi, smirking as well. "I'm only telling the truth and it's not my fault. Come on, let's go get something to eat, I'm hungry."

Together, the three of them walked back to the festival and enjoyed themselves for the rest of the day.

_**Later**_

'_Ugh, why does my head hurt? Why am I on the ground? Heck, what was I doing just now?'_ Sumire sat up and shook her head, allowing her memories to come back to her.

" That damn Mikan Sakura. I can't believe she beat me." She looked around her, seeing scattered girls everywhere. It was starting to get dark already but Sumire so she could still see everyone. Suddenly, her eyes landed on a piece of napkin with writing on it. There was a rock on top.

Sumire picked the paper up and read it:

_hey Permy, _

_Did you have a nice nap? Just so you know, your DEAR Natsume and Youichi saw the entire thing. _

_Guess who_

Her eyes grew wide after she read the note. _'No, my dear Natsume and cute little Youichi was here all along. How could that be? I bet's it's that wannabe's fault. I'll get her back, I swear.'_

Her eyes glared off into the newly fallen night as she vowed her revenge.

"See you soon, You-chan!" Mikan waved her goodbyes at him as he dashed off back to his dormitory.

" Good bye Onee-chan!" He yelled back.

Mikan and Natsume walked back to their own rooms in comfortable silence.

'_I wonder what will happen tomorrow?' _She thought as she smiled towards the stars that were now out. They were twinkling brilliantly in the new evening.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Arigato for reading. Please review and advise. Sorry for the late update, i was kinda busy. Oh by the way, in the last chapter, the last song, for some reason my computer keeps screwing up and deleting a verse or two of the lyrics. Sorry! Hope you enjoyed this chapter though.**


	13. Chapter 13

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!! **_

The next couple days passed quite quickly. Mikan enjoyed herself like she never did before. Permy didn't even show her face after what happened. Finally, it was the last day of the festival. As usual, Mikan was as excited as ever.

"So who are you asking to the Last Dance?" Nonoko asked excitedly.

Mikan looked up from her breakfast. "What's the last Dance?"

"Well, the girl names her partner and there's a legend that if you dance with someone during the Last Dance, you'll end up together. It's so romantic." Anna replied, dreamingly. There were stars in her eyes.

"Cool. But I think I'll skip the Last Dance part, I'm not exactly that interested. I'm the kind of girl who believes that only time can tell. So are you going to confess tonight?" Mikan asked all around.

Anna and Nonoko blushed. "Yeah, we're planning to tell them tonight."

Mikan smiled. "That's great, good luck."

Mikan finished her breakfast and put her spoon down. "So are you going to work again?"

Anna, Nonoko, Koko and Yuu nodded.

Mikan noticed that Hotaru and Ruka didn't nod. "How about you guys?"

Ruka answered first, looking up from his bunny. "Oh, they said that I could have a break today since I've been working since the festival started. Plus, I've never really looked around yet."

Hotaru looked up to reply. "All my stock sold out and when I tried to recopy, the machine broke, so I can't sell anything today." Everyone sweatdropped.

Mikan smiled. "So today it's just Natsume, Ruka, Hotaru and I. We're going to have so much fun, I can't wait."

" How about Youichi, you've been with him for the past few days." Koko asked.

Mikan turned her attention to Koko, who was still wearing his goofy smile. "Oh, You-chan said that he would be busy today. He told us not to bother looking for him."

Mikan got up to throw her trash away. Today, she was a wearing a bright blue tube top with a thin gray jacket on top and a jean skirt. She wore blue flip flops and a necklace.

The brunette quickly chucked her trash away and sat back down. She was waiting for everyone to finish up so they could leave together.

This didn't take very long though. In a matter of moments, their stomachs were content and they were ready for a new day.

As usual for the past week, they parted ways in front of the dormitories. Only Mikan, Natsume, Ruka, and Hotaru were left.

Mikan turned to Hotaru as a question popped into her head. "Ne Hotaru, what time is the ceremony today?"

Hotaru turned her emotionless gaze at Mikan, "It's starts at 5:15pm."

Mikan smiled and looked away, forgetting that Ruka was there. "So we'll have to go half an hour early then."

Ruka stared at her with a curious look. "Why do you have to go half an hour early?"

'_Crap! I forgot Ruka-pyon was still here. I gotta think of a reason quickly.' _Mikan mentally slapped herself for letting it slip.

"Um . . . Narumi-sensei asked Hotaru and I to help with the setup." She lied quickly, trying to put her best acting forward.

" Oh!" Ruka replied. He didn't believe a word of that fib, but he decided not to dig any deeper. "So, where are we going first?"

Hotaru replied and brought out her camera. "Wherever there are lots of animals."

Mikan sweatdropped.

"IMAI-SAN!!!" Ruka yelled, turning crimson.

" Let's go, come on" Mikan and Natsume were already ahead of them.

In the end, they decided to let Ruka choose. They ended up going to the Technology type attractions first. They watched demonstrations, and tried them, Mikan was interested in everything even though she saw it like everyday. They saw edible robots to robotic pets that acted like real ones.

"Hey Ruka-pyon. I've been wondering this for a while, but does your Alice work on robotic animals as well?" Mikan pointed to a robotic dog that was playing with a rubber ball. It seemed so real.

Ruka faced the dog as well. "No, I've tried it already, it doesn't work that way." For some reason, his eyes had a glint of regret.

Mikan noticed this and decided to drop the subject, watching Ruka distract himself and returning to normal. '_I_ _wonder if something happened?'_ She didn't feel too good about this.

Mikan spent the rest of the day trying to forget about the glint of regret that appeared in her friend's eyes. Thank goodness she was an actress, or she would feel even worse for making her friends worry.

There was an hour left until the festival finally closed. They dropped by the S.A type attractions. Mikan was happy that there was so much people there. In the end, Mikan did have fun, even if something was bothering her.

Suddenly, Narumi-sensei appeared in front of them.

He was panting heavily. "Ruka, can you help set up for the festival, we don't have enough hands so we need you to come now."

"Sure." The cerulean eyed boy focused on Mikan. "Come on, let's go guys. Since you're helping out as well, you can go early."

Before Mikan could reply, Narumi-sensei interrupted. "What are you talking about, Mikan and Hotaru aren't going to help set up."

Ruka's eyes grew wide with disbelief and suspicion, so she really was hiding something.

Mikan mentally slapped herself, while Hotaru pretended nothing happened and Natsume was thinking about burning their gay homeroom teacher.

" I'll be there in a moment, I need to talk to my friends." His eyes narrowed towards them. Mikan gulped.

Narumi-sensei waved good bye and skipped away, leaving the suspicious blond hair boy and his soon to be interrogated friends. He was more than determined to get to the bottom of this.

Ruka walked to a secluded area, where they wouldn't be overheard.

He faced his friends. "What's going on Mikan, what are you hiding? Why did you say this morning that you had to leave early to help set up but now Narumi-sensei, the one in charge of set up, says you were never helping in the first place? You better not lie, or else I'm going to get Koko to read your minds."

Mikan gulped again and looked away, trying to think of an excuse. "Um . . I have a mission tonight. That's why." She didn't sound the least bit convincing.

Ruka narrowed his eyes and focused on Mikan, who was avoiding his gaze. "Really now? Then tell me why you told Hotaru this when you're not suppose to discuss 'missions'?"

"Um . . . ." Was all Mikan could reply.

Suddenly, Mikan heard Hotaru sigh. She turned to face the amethyst eyed girl, her raven hair was blowing comfortably in the wind as if there wasn't a care in the world.

"I guess the cat's out of the bag. You can't lie to Nogi any longer, but I can keep him quiet, so you can tell him." Hotaru whipped out her laptop and started to go through her pictures, trying to pick out the best one to use for this situation.

Mikan sweatdropped, while Ruka flushed with embarrassment. He was still waiting for an answer though.

Mikan sighed and faced Ruka. "Well, I'm actually Mikan Sakura in disguise, you know, the celebrity Mikan and Hotaru's my manager. Only Hotaru, Natsume, You-chan and the teachers that teach us know though. So please keep it a secret."

Ruka took a moment to comprehend this. "Hmm . . . everything makes more sense now. But why do you need to leave early?"

" Oh, I, the celebrity me that is, have to appear in the Closing Ceremony to help hand out awards." Mikan was still uneasy that another person found out.

Ruka pondered for a few moments, leaving Mikan, Hotaru and Natsume waiting eagerly for an answer. "Ok."

"Excuse me?" Mikan was stunned. She thought a lot more would come out of his mouth.

Ruka smiled and started to pat his bunny, which was in his arm ever since. "I said ok. I'll keep your secret. So let's go. Natsume, do you want to help with me?"

"Tch. Whatever. I've got nothing better to do."

Together they walked back silently.

Narumi-sensei welcomed them with opened arms. "You're just in time minna-

san. Mikan, we need your 'help' in the room that's down the hallway and your first left." He was acting the same way back at the concert when he didn't know that Natsume had already busted her secret.

Mikan sighed and Hotaru secretly murmured 'baka' under her breath. "Narumi-sensei, you can drop the act. Ruka-pyon found out."

Narumi-sensei stared at her. Something about this situation seems familiar. "In that case, Mikan-chan. your change room is down the hall and is your first left. I'll come fetch you when it's time."

Mikan and Hotaru headed to the change room, while Narumi-sensei started to explain to Natsume and Ruka about what needed to be done.

Mikan opened the door that had the sign 'Prohibited Room' on it. She opened the unlocked door and they stepped in.

Inside, the room looked exactly the same as the one she occupied the day of her 'visit' here to Alice Academy. On the rack hung the dress that she would wear, her shoes were under. Make up was sprawled all over the table along with hair supplies and accessories. Hotaru began to prepare the curling iron as Mikan took off her disguise and changed.

The brunette wore a light turquoise halter gown. Her back was exposed. A thick, shiny teal ribbon rimmed the top and bottom of the gown, wrapping itself gracefully around her neck. The ribbon extended to the back where it got wider and was tied in a perfect bow. The dress reached just before the knee. She wore simple teal sandals with low heels, it had a simple bow on the front of each shoe.

She sat down in front of the vanity mirror. By now, the curling iron was warm and ready. Hotaru clipped Mikan wavy hair into a half pony. letting strands of hair dangle near the front. She took the curling iron and wrapped it around those strands, leaving neatly formed, bouncy curls. Hotaru curled the ends of her brunette hair as well, while Mikan, herself, applied little mascara, light blush, and lip gloss. She sprayed herself with a little bit of perfume and stood up.

Hotaru stepped aside while Mikan stepped back from the mirror until she could see herself fully. She twirled and looked at herself.

She turned to Hotaru. "Something's missing."

Hotaru had already noticed this and saw what was missing. "Mikan, close your eyes."

Mikan closed her eyes and waited. She could hear Hotaru searching for something. Suddenly, the noises stopped as she felt something cold around her neck and wrist. She opened her eyes and looked in the mirror.

The reflection revealed a necklace with a silver charm on it. It represented a silver sakura pedal. She looked down at her wrist, a thin silver bracelet hung elegantly on her small wrist. It had smaller sakura pedals on it that matched the necklace that she wore. Both of these accessories complimented her gown to the fullest extent.

Hotaru gave a small smile as Mikan twirled, her gown swiveled obediently with her.

It was almost time for the festival. Since there was a lack of hands, everyone was rushing back and forth on Narumi-sensei's orders. They finished five minutes before the ceremony started. Natsume and Ruka were panting and sweating, they were worked to death practically.

"Damn that Narumi. I'll get him for this." Natsume was panting heavily, leaning on the side of a crate. Ruka was next to him.

"Sorry, Natsume. I didn't expect this much work. I shouldn't have dragged you into this." Ruka was panting as well, but he sounded guilty. Thank goodness Mikan wasn't here at the moment.

Natsume faced Ruka. "It's ok. Plus if I didn't, you would still be working."

Ruka smiled. "Thanks. Come on, we better head to the type classes, it's going to start soon."

Natsume and Ruka headed off, through the back door.

Mikan was admiring herself in the mirror while Hotaru was taking pictures for her blackmailing purposes. They were waiting for Narumi-sensei to arrive.

Suddenly, a knock came from the door. Hotaru, with her camera still in hand, opened it to reveal a smiling Narumi-sensei.

"It's time, Mikan. Your roll in the ceremony will be to hand the trophy to their respective classes. The principals will take turns handing out the rest. There will be two trophies. Also, there will be three crowns, you'll need to place the crown on his or her head. It's almost time, so we should get going." Narumi-sensei lead Mikan and Hotaru to the side of the stage.

There were a few people in the back, but they were only teachers. Suddenly, trumpets were heard on stage as Narumi-sensei headed for the microphone, leaving Mikan and Hotaru standing there.

On stage, Narumi-sensei gazed out to the sea of students, separated by their type classes and marked by flags. "Well, minna-san, the festival has finally come to an end. I hope that you all had fun during this past week. Now, like every other year, we have to hand out the awards. This year, we have special people handing out the awards. I would like to welcome our three principals. "

Suddenly, three people walked onto the stage, opposite of where Mikan was. It was a middle-aged man, a woman and a boy around the same age as Mikan. They all took their seats on stage. Applauds and cheers could be heard from the crowd.

Narumi-sensei continued. "Now, we also have with us today to help hand out the awards, a special guest who took time off her busy schedule and held a concert for us, I would like to welcome Mikan Sakura on behalf of the Academy."

Cheers broke from the crowd as Mikan Sakura stepped onto the stage. She walked to the principals and bowed three times, each one smiled at her politeness. She walked back to her side of the stage, standing next to a table containing trophies, tiaras and pieces of paper.

She could feel a light breeze pick up, caressing her cheeks. Her hair and dress danced melodically with the wind. She put a smile on her face and gazed at the audience. Most of the boys had hearts in their eyes, while girls of all ages idolized her.

Even a crimson eyed boy had his attention caught. He admired her figure like the rest of the boys and watched her curled hair bounce with every step. He was glad that he and Ruka were the only ones who knew her secret, it somehow made him feel like they had a deeper connection.

He looked over at Ruka. He could see that his attention was caught as well, but it was like the rest of her fans, he was only looking because she was gorgeous at the moment.

Narumi-sensei interrupted his thoughts, as he snapped his attention back to the stage. "Now, the type class that has collected the most points this festival will be rewarded with a trophy and 35,000 rabbits, which will be split evenly throughout their class. "

Mikan handed him a slip of paper.

Narumi-sensei smiled at her and unfolded the piece of paper. "This year's winner is . . ." A drum roll could be heard from the band standing nearby. "THE TECHNICAL ABILITY TYPE CLASS!!!"

Applauds broke from the crowd, while cheers, shouts, and screams were heard from the technical class. The other classes were down, but they still applauded politely.

Three people headed their way to the stage. A principal stood up and shook each of their hands, handing an envelope, which contained 35,000 rabbits, to the last person that he shook. The three representatives bowed, and walked towards Mikan, who had the trophy ready in her hand.

Two of the representatives blushed at the sight of Mikan. They couldn't help, they were boys after all and at the moment, Mikan was drop dead gorgeous. The third representative, who was a girl, smiled at Mikan. She was obviously a huge fan.

Mikan handed the trophy to one of the boys, who blushed even more. She shook each of their hands and smiled while they headed off the stage, dazed by what just happened.

Narumi-sensei continued. "Now, we have a special award. This class's attractions were extremely fun just like the other classes, but they showed a lot of enthusiasm and that they were having a lot of fun. This award, as well as 10,000 rabbits goes to . . . " Drum roll again. "THE S.A TYPE CLASS."

Everyone seemed shocked at this and turned their attention to the rejoicing class.

Mikan flashed a genuine smile, which was seen by many boys who still had their eyes on her. She guessed that just because she did a mini-concert and the opening ceremony, and the points were added to her class's score, it still wasn't high enough. Oh well, there was always next year.

Again, three male representatives walked onto the stage to receive their prizes. Mikan was familiar and friends with them, they were nice to her.

The second principal stood up and handed them their well deserved rabbits. They bowed and thanked her politely but anyone could tell that all they really wanted was to meet Mikan Sakura. They walked shyly yet eagerly towards the gorgeous brunette.

Mikan smiled and held a trophy out to them. A boy stepped forward and accepted it, blushing like crazy. Mikan was oblivious to this and shook each of their hands, making their faces turn tomato red.

The three boys left the stage with a dazed looks set on their faces, it was almost like they entered heaven.

In the crowd, a raven haired boy was secretly glaring at the three representatives. He felt a second pang of jealousy, the first was from the first set of representatives. He took a deep breath and sighed. He was pretty sure that Mikan was used to boys gawking at her from every angle.

Mikan was smiling happily. Her smile lit up the entire stage, captivating her fans' attention, who were wondering why she would give such a genuine smile to such a useless class.

"Now, we will announce the king and queen of the Alice Festival. They will have the honor of sharing the first dance together." Narumi-sensei interrupted everyone's thoughts.

" He amused thousands of students and teachers and is idolized by the younger ones for his marvelous magic tricks, this year king of Alice is . . . " Another drum roll sounded. "KOKORO YOME!!!"

People cheered all around, the loudest were their friends with a couple of exceptions. Mikan wanted to join right in and cheer along with them, but it took all her strength to keep her composure. Instead, she let out another genuine smile, dazzling fans all around.

Koko stepped onto the stage and shook hands with the principals, he received an envelope with an unknown amount in it. He made his way across the stage to the smiling brunette celebrity.

Mikan already had the crown in her hand and also kept her mind blank incase Koko thought about reading it for fun. She couldn't use her Alice or else he would know who she really was.

But surprisingly, Koko didn't use his Alice. Actually, it never even crossed his mind to do such a thing. He received the crown and shook her hand, gazing at her like another fan boy.

He walked off the stage while everyone waited for Narumi-sensei to announce the queen.

"This year's Queen of Alice created many fascinating foods, attracting attention all around. Her creativity as good as her food, this year's Queen of Alice is no other than . . " Once again, the drum roll sounded. " ANNA UMENOMIYA!"

People burst into polite cheers all around. Nonoko was cheering the loudest while hugging Anna who was jumping in surprise.

Koko blushed at the mention of Anna's name. His eyes latched onto her jumping figure, which made him blush some more. He then remembered that the king and queen were suppose to share the first dance, he was officially beet red.

Anna made her way onto the stage, excited that she won but was more excited at the fact that she would see her idol once again. She shook all three of the principals' hands, smiling and nodding politely. She was handed an envelope from one of them, containing a check of unknown rabbits. She bowed once again and hurriedly made her way across the stage, towards a beautiful, smiling brunette.

Mikan's smile grew more wonderful and genuine by the minute. She felt so happy for Anna that she wanted to jump and shout for joy alongside Nonoko. Thank goodness she didn't. She was truly happy for Anna.

Mikan shook her hand and handed her the tiara, placing it on her head. Anna was blushing at her idol madly. She was in shock the entire time but walked off the stage, her body moving on it's own.

Mikan giggled a little at Anna's reaction towards her. There was one more crown left.

"This year, we have a Junior Rookie of Alice. This award was especially made for the younger students when we noticed a special youngster helping around. Even though he wasn't signed up to participate, he did the best he could, helping all around with quick, efficient effort and a stoic face. This year's first Junior Rookie of Alice is . . ." The drum roll sounded for the last time. "HIJIRI YOUICHI!!!"

People gasped all around while they cheered and clapped politely. Who would have thought the demon boy would win.

His fan club, however, was going crazy.

In the crowd, Natsume was surprised. He looked towards Youichi, who appeared by his side moments ago. _'So that's why he was so busy.'_

Natsume nudged the little boy towards the stage, snapping him back to reality.

Youichi walked onto the stage and shook the principals hands. He too, was handed an envelope containing rabbits. He bowed once again and headed towards the other side of the stage.

Mikan's smile grew larger than life at the sight of Youichi. She didn't notice that the audience were glaring at him with jealousy.

Youichi ignored it and stood in front of Mikan, giving her a small smile, which gracefully lit up his face. Fortunately, the brunette noticed this but his fan club didn't.

She gently slipped the crown on his head and kneeled down shaking, his small hand. Suddenly, as Mikan was letting go from her handshake, her dear, little You-chan hugged her, causing the entire audience to gasp.

Some of the fan club members fainted while others continued to glare with more jealousy than before. Mikan was shocked by his action, but quickly recovered and hugged him back, like a mother and a child would.

Moments later, Youichi let go and walked off the stage, he had a contented smirk playing upon his lips and a dangerous aura warning people not to go near him. Other than that, he was visibly happy.

Mikan stood back up, still smiling.

"Well, I officially declare the Alice Academy Festival closed. Students, don't forget about the dance tonight, it starts at 7:00 pm. Once again, I would like to thank our wonderfully, wonderful three principals for attending, as well as Mikan Sakura who took time off of her busy schedule. " Narumi-sensei started to twirl on stage, but stopped quickly after he realized where he was.

Narumi-sensei, Mikan and the three principals left the stage as people clapped for the last time.

Backstage, Hotaru was waiting for our favorite brunette. No one else was there.

"Good job, Mikan. I see you had fun. Now come on, we have to prepare for the dance. So go change back." Hotaru commanded.

"Hai!" Mikan happily skipped to the changing room.

Mikan quickly threw off her clothes and accessories, as she wiped off the make up. She was indeed happy. Her day seems so perfect so far. Plus, she couldn't wait for the dance.

As quickly as she took off her clothes and accessories, she put on her normal clothes in a flash. She slipped on her disguise and headed out.

She was expecting Hotaru and Narumi-sensei to be outside but what she saw was more of a shock. Standing outside her door was Hotaru, Natsume, Ruka-pyon and You-chan. Narumi-sensei was no where to be seen.

Mikan let out a slight gasp. "What are you guys doing here?"

Ruka stepped forward, smiling. "Oh, we decided to wait for you. By the way, you looked really pretty on stage, even Natsume would agree with me."

Everyone turned their attention to the Black Cat at this comment. He turned away once everyone's gaze fell on him, hiding his slightly blushing face with his bangs. For once, he was completely speechless.

Unfortunately for Hotaru, she couldn't take any pictures because his bangs hid his face, so no one could see him blush.

" There's no way that's possible." Mikan tried and waved it off, she was completely oblivious to the fact that it was actually true.

Hotaru and Ruka turned their intent attention towards Mikan.

" Come on, we have to prepare for the dance Hotaru." Mikan continued.

Hotaru sighed. " Ok, fine. Let's go."

Natsume calmed down, thanking Mikan in his mind as they headed out the door.

They walked back to their dormitories and parted ways. They all knew they had a long night ahead of them.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Arigato for reading. So sorry for the ultra late update. Been very busy. Unfortunately, it might take a little while for the next one as well. Please understand and forgive me. An again, review and advise. **


	14. Chapter 14

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!!**_

"Hurry up, Mikan!" Hotaru started to bang on Mikan's bathroom door.

There was exactly twenty minutes until the dance started and Mikan was far form ready. Hotaru was though, not wasting a second once she got into Mikan's room.

Mikan unlocked her door and opened it, the bathroom full of steam from her relaxing shower. She was only wearing a bathrobe and slippers.

Hotaru and Mikan made their way to the brunette's closet. Mikan settled down in front of a make up table, which was just installed a couple days before the festival.

Hotaru split Mikan's hair into two low pigtails, tying it with creamy, white ribbons. she curled the ends of her silky, brunette hair, giving her an angelic appearance, even with her disguise on. Mikan put on her contacts and glasses, upset that she couldn't go as the 'real' her.

She gently applied glitter mascara, shiny sakura pink lip gloss, and a sprit of a new kind of perfume, as not to give away her secret.

"Go change, I'll wait outside." Hotaru left the closet while pointing to a dress that hung on one of the racks.

"Hai!!" Mikan happily replied, closing the door after Hotaru left.

She walked over to the dress. She loved it. It's too bad she had to wear her disguise.

This year, high school girls went as goddesses, while middle school girls went as fairies and elementary girls went as angels. For the elementary and middle-school, the dresses were all the same. But for high-school girls, the academy picks different dresses for the students based on a common detail. This year, all their dresses were white and body-hugging.

Mikan's dress was halter, leaving her flawless back bare. It was a plain, creamy, white dress, but at the bottom, there were silver crystal sequins, which made the gown sparkle, giving a "goddess" like appearance and showed off her curves.

Mikan quickly put on the dress, feeling comfortable the moment she stepped into it. She wore creamy white low heels that were simple yet elegant. Running to a jewelry box, she pulled out a silver crystal beaded necklace with a pale pink sakura pendant and a matching bracelet. Everything was perfect.

She looked at herself in the mirror. She had to admit she was gorgeous. Of course, this is excluding her disguise.

Mikan sighed and opened her closet door. Hotaru was sitting in a nearby chair with her daily emotionless, stoic face plastered on.

The raven-haired friend stood up and started to head for the door. She was wearing a tank topped strapped dress that reached just to her knee. It had a wide, square collar, revealing a bit of cleavage. Silver crystal sequins decorated the rims and straps of her dress fading as they went deeper through the garment, not too much and not too little. It gave her a goddess like appearance as well, like it was suppose to. She wore white comfortable, yet dainty heels with sequined ribbons that went a little past her ankle.

She was perfect as well, except for one missing thing.

Mikan headed back to her closet. "Wait, Hotaru. I want to give you something."

Mikan quickly ran back to her closet and started to search for something in her jewelry box.

Hotaru stood by her closet door and looked at her quizzically.

After moments of fumbling through tangled jewelry, an excited brunette came back holding something behind her back, a big grin on her face.

Suspicious, Hotaru asked. "What do you have behind your back?"

The brunette continued to smile but gladly replied. "Close your eyes and you'll see."

Her amethyst eyes stared at her suspiciously once more before closing.

Her eyes snapped back up the moment she felt something cold around her neck. She looked down to see a small, heart shaped locket with little light purple crystals set on the cover. It seemed old but matched her dress perfectly. The crystals brought out the color of her beautiful violet eyes and silky, raven-colored hair.

It reminded her of a certain moment in the change room when Hotaru did the exact same thing for Mikan.

Hotaru held the locket in her hand and opened it. Inside the locket was a mirror on either side. There were intricate markings set in the edges of each piece, framing it perfectly and making it seem more fragile than it already was.

Hotaru looked at Mikan and gave her an ultra rare and small smile. She felt very happy at the moment that she received such a gift from her dear friend.

Mikan was still smiling and it only grew when she noticed Hotaru's one of a kind smile.

Comfortable silence passed before the two friends when Mikan decided to break it. "This is for you. I always loved that locket but it's better suited for you so you can have it."

Mikan turned and started to head for the door, her face filled with joy and her heart filled with friendship.

"Thank you." A voice whispered but Mikan still heard it.

Mikan looked behind her to find her raven-haired friend staring straight at her. Her violet eyes reflected the same amount of joy and friendship that Mikan felt at the moment.

She returned her small, genuine smile. "Come on, we're going to be late."

The two friends headed out the door, locking it behind them.

The two friends arrived just in time. The dance had just started and everyone was already having the time of their life. Couples danced, while friends joked and teachers ate. Everything was perfect. Little girls ran around in their dresses, making each one fit to be an angel. The smell of food spread through the air, making everyone hungry for the mountain of scrumptious food set on tables.

Mikan was awed at the sight. She had never been to such an event where it wasn't filmed on camera or she had to appear on stage. She's never been with so many people around her age before, and she hasn't been run over by fans yet. A mixture of shock, surprise and relief overcame Mikan as she smiled and relaxed, happy that she could really be normal for once.

Hotaru noticed the expression on Mikan's face and smiled. As if reading her mind, she was happy that Mikan could have this experience for once.

Suddenly, both Mikan and Hotaru noticed Anna and Nonoko running towards them. Natsume, Ruka, Koko, and Yuu were behind them but they weren't running.

Mikan put on a smile and waved. "Hey guys. You look wonderful."

Anna and Nonoko twirled to show off their dresses, smiles plastered on both their faces.

Anna wore a white, one-strapped dress, which reached just to the knee. Delicate, white lace decorated the bottom of the dress, giving it a classier look. Silver crystal sequins were embroidered on the strap, illustrating a small rose with vines that trailed all the way around the top rim of the dress. She wore white sandals with a sequined rose on the front and vines on the heels and a choker necklace made out of the same cloth as the dress that a small rose pendant on it.

Nonoko wore a matching, white tube top bubble dress that hung just before the knees. A sash wrapped and tightened right under the bust, introducing the bubble skirt, which led to the bottom. Silver crystal sequins decorated the top of the dress, ending right before the sash, forming a lily and vines. She wore white heels that tied a little past her ankles. Sequins elaborated the front of the sandals, entwining itself through the ribbons. She also wore a choker necklace made out of cloth, but the pendant was a lily.

Both girls were downright gorgeous.

"You guys look great too. I love your dresses. The Academy sure has good taste." Anna joked, giggling a little.

Mikan gave a warm smile as the guys caught up with them. She noticed that Koko had his eyes on Anna the whole time while Yuu had his on Nonoko. The brunette secretly smiled to herself.

The guys were dressed up as modern day prices. How original is that? Anyways, the high school outfits fir the boys were like the girls, they were all different but were based on a common factor. They were all wearing suits.

Yuu was wearing a creamy white suit with a lavender button-up shirt underneath. He had a fresh lily in his breast pocket. He was wearing a matching outfit as Nonoko.

Koko was wearing a white suit and a dark violet button-up shirt underneath. He was dressed like Yuu but had a rose in his breast pocket instead of a lily. He was also matching but to Anna.

Ruka wore a light beige suit with a faded sky blue button-up shirt underneath. His shirt brought out his clear, azure eyes. He wore a white bowtie and white shoes. A white handkerchief peeking out of his breast pocket.

Natsume wore a black suit with a bright, crimson red button-up shirt underneath. Like Ruka, his shirt brought out his eyes, giving them a deeper shade of red. He wore black shoes and a black tie with a yellow rose with leaves printed across the tie tucked into his suit.

All of them were eye-catching at the moment.

"You guys look handsome, really handsome in fact, especially Koko and Yuu. What do you think Anna, Nonoko?" She put forth a questionable face towards the two girls.

Yuu, Koko, Anna and Nonoko blushed simultaneously while looking at each other. Anna and Nonoko looked away and slightly nodded, still blushing. This made the two boys turn tomato red as all their friends witnessed the two shy girls' actions. They each smiled inwardly to themselves as moments of silence passed between them.

Mikan was happy for her friends and decided to break the silence. "Let's go eat guys, I'm hungry."

"Tch. Pig!" Natsume muttered loudly under his breath.

Mikan heard this and glared at him, obviously not enjoying the comment. "Natsume!" She took a deep breath and exhaled, over dramatizing the action. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood right now or else you'd be dead and squished beneath my foot."

Mikan stuck out her tongue and ran towards the buffet table, completely forgetting about her friends.

Natsume smirked at her threat and decided not to dig any deeper for once. The seven friends trailed after Mikan, following her footsteps to the buffet table.

Music was heard in the background as they ate in comfortable silence, each concentrating on their own food. Of course, that peace didn't last long when girls all around noticed Natsume and Ruka.

Almost immediately, Sumire and her so-called fan club walked up to them, strutting their way over trying to get them to notice the wannabe girls.

"NATSUME-SAMA, PLEASE LET ME NAME YOU FOR THE LAST DANCE!!"

"RUKA-SAMA, CHOOSE ME!!!"

"NO DON'T!! LET ME CHOOSE YOU, MY DARLING NATSUME-SAMA, RUKA-SAMA."

"LIKE THAT WILL EVER HAPPEN."

"YEAH!! ISN'T IT CLEAR AS CRYSTAL THAT WE'RE GOING TO END UP TOGETHER."

"OH WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!?!?!?!"

"SHUT UP!!!!!"

Everyone looked around for who shouted for them to be quiet. The fan club looked immediately at a certain brunette and her friends, but they all had food in their mouths and could care less about the situation.

Suddenly, a seaweed-perm green haired girl stepped forward and faced the fan club. She had an angry look on her face, and fire in her eyes that could almost match up to Natsume's Alice.

"Finally, you shut up. I thought I needed to launch a bomb to get your attention." Permy actually made sense for once. "Now, obviously, being the head of the Natsume and Ruka fan club, only I am allowed to ask them to be my last dance partner, so the rest of you march!" She pointed to the direction leading away from the table, guiding fans back to their respective places.

The huge crowd muttered incoherent words before scattering. Each had an angry face printed on them. Only Sumire was left, Natsume, Ruka and their friends were left.

They looked up, finally realizing that the noise and shouting stopped.

Sumire turned around, facing the unfazed boys with a flirtatious smile and batting eyelashes. She was about to open her mouth when Mikan interrupted.

"At least you're good for something." She said emotionlessly, while holding a drumstick in her hand.

"How dare you say such a thing, do you know who I am." She completely forgot about her sweet act.

"Do you know that you say that line whenever we talk. Is it like your catchphrase or something?" Mikan arched one of her eyebrows, provoking Permy to no end.

"Grr! Don't think you're all that, at least I look beautiful tonight, unlike the rest of you." Permy flipped her hair and posed, trying her best to look half decent before our more preferred characters.

Koko snorted at this comment, while Yuu slightly choked on his food. Ruka coughed while trying not to barf. And of course, Natsume death glared her while rolling his eyes in annoyance. The girls arched their eyebrows as Hotaru started to prepare her baka canon. That's right, baka _**canon**_.

Mikan's eyes traveled downwards to take note of what Permy was wearing. It was awful. The dress looked pretty good on her, trust the academy to make a monster look beautiful. It was a spaghetti strapped dress that ended diagonally just after the knees. It would have been okay but she added on way too much make up, which includes mascara, blush and lipstick. A big white feather boa snaked itself ungracefully around her arms and back, adding to the awfulness of the outfit. She had a big, heavily decorated necklace that ungratefully wrapped itself around her neck, occupying most of her collarbone and led directly into the dress. In the middle of the necklace, there was a HUGE green stone that was suppose to be an emerald. Gold chains and beads managed to intertwine itself into a tangled mess that looked like a spider web surrounded it. The stone was obviously made out of glass.

The brunette's eyes traveled to her feet, which were decorated by green platform shoes. The shoes were the same green as the fake emerald.

"You know, you overdid yourself a little too much." Was all that our dear brunette could say.

"What are you talking about. You can never have too much. Plus, I look perfect, it's all thanks to this beautiful and genuine, one of a kind necklace." Permy smirked and pointed to her spider web -oops, I mean 'one of a kind' necklace.

"One of a kind my butt. That stone in the middle is genuinely FAKE. Can't you tell? It's made out of cheap glass, it's not even made by an Alice." This was one of the things Mikan specialized in. Being a celebrity, she tried on over billions of different jewelry. From fashion shows to commercials, to parties, acting or just daily life, she wore them all, and after a short period of time, she could tell fake from real in a matter of seconds.

"Go get your eyes checked, four eyes. This is REAL!!! The salesman said so when I bought it from Central Town. He said it was imported from Paris and he would sell it to me cheaper than most folks. Of course this is real." Permy stamped her feet to the ground repeatedly, while pointing to her necklace.

"Think again. There are such things in this world known as rip-off artists. You know, they sell cheaper and fake things while saying it's real, hoping stupid and gullible people like you will buy it for a high price." Mikan was still in her seat, she was a hundred percent calm.

"Yeah right. Look at how the stone shines in all directions." The seaweed haired, overdressed chicken was quite confident in herself about this statement, too bad she was completely wrong.

"Real gems don't just shine on top, they shine and glitter from within. Believe me when I say this, but that gem is faker than the fake eyelashes you have on right now." Mikan took a sip from her water, her throat parched from proving Permy wrong.

Koko let out a snicker at the mention of Permy's fake eyelashes. The rest of their friends looked at her, trying to identify the fake eyelashes from the mountain of mascara. After searching long and hard, they finally found it.

Permy growled, she didn't want to lose just yet. "Oh how would you know?!? You may be a genius but there are some things that count on instincts, more importantly, a woman's intuition, which _you_ definitely do not have."

Mikan arched an eyebrow once more before responding, not feeling insulted at all. "I have a whole lot more intuition than you will use in your lifetime, sorry, _if_ you use it in your lifetime. And as for me knowing, I worked with gems for the past couple years before I came to this academy and I still do. Of course I would know such things." She wiped her mouth with her napkin, her stomach content and full.

Permy, however, was stuck between a hard place and a rock. she wanted to tear Mikan Sakura down at the moment and make her grovel at her feet but Natsume and Ruka was here, and she didn't want to make a bad impression on them.

Coming to the end of her choices, she sighed and growled, putting forth the most angry face she could. No one was fazed much to her disappointment. "I'll get you for this Mikan Sakura. One day, you'll regret the day that you met Sumire Shouda, head of the Natsume and Ruka fan club."

Mikan looked up innocently as if stating the truth. "Everyone has been regretting the day they met you, so what makes you think I'm any different."

"AARRGGHH!!! How dare you say such a thing to me. You'll regret this, you little over-achiever, just you wait. I SWEAR!!" The tone of Permy's voice was filled with much venom, but Mikan seemed neutral to this as Permy stalked off.

Silence passed as they watched the retreating figure disappear in the crowd of people.

"Onee-chan!!"

Everyone turned around to dace a panting Youichi. His hair was a little messed up since he ran over to them but either than that, he looked completely adorable in his little elf costume.

The little green bowtie brought out his eyes and the sharp edges of his collar and pants resembled the shape of his hair.

Mikan smiled gently at her little You-chan. She hasn't seen him since the award ceremony, and that seemed like forever. "You-chan, you look so cute."

The teal eyed boy grew a faint red upon his cheeks but was happy none the less.

"Onee-chan, can you dance with me?" He gave a small smile that made him seem like a sweet and innocent angel.

"Of course I will. Heck, let's all go together. None of us have danced yet except Koko and Anna, and that was the first dance." Mikan grinned as she remembered this.

Koko and Anna looked away and slightly blushed as the memory resurfaced fresh in their minds.

They all stood up and walked to the dance floor except one. Youichi took Mikan's hand and lead her to the dance floor. It was the cutest thing ever.

Yuu paired off with Nonoko, while Koko did the same with Anna.

Ruka offered his hand to the infamous black mailer, preparing to be rejected and tortured. Surprisingly, the amethyst eyed girl took his hand, earning her a slight blush from the blond haired boy, who looked away the moment he felt their hands touch.

For once, Hotaru decided not to pull out her camera, she was secretly enjoying this and knew he was as well, even if it was just a little.

They walked further on to the dance floor, their feet glided knowingly to the music.

Everyone was having the time of their lives dancing to the sound of the music. Even Natsume, who didn't join was having fun just watching his friends. He knew for a while now that his best friend feelings would deepen further for the blackmailer and vice versa, even though she didn't show it.

He focused his gaze upon a certain brunette and silver-haired boy. Her laughter and smile filled the air while a rare smile crept upon the youth's face. Natsume was happy for him, though he couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion, wishing he could dance with her as well, even if she was in disguise.

He shook the thought away and realized that Mikan, Youichi, Hotaru and Ruka were heading towards him. he looked towards Koko, and Yuu, who seemed pretty cozy at the moment with their partners.

"Why didn't you dance, Natsume?" Mikan approached him, a curious smile gracing her features.

He looked away, and replied. "I don't want to, plus the fan clubs will chase me down if I even took a step on the dance floor. Why are you back, don't you want to dance more, I heard your annoying voice from all the way over here."

Her smile turned upside down into a frown. "Natsume! I wasn't that loud. And plus, it's time for the last dance. God, I thought you were suppose to be smart."

"Oh . . ." Was all Natsume could say, his head was still turned.

The three friends took a seat while Youichi sat on Mikan's lap. They were waiting for the last dance to start.

Suddenly, a loud electric sound was heard from the speakers, like something in the system went terribly wrong. The lights and music went out at the same time. Shrieks and screams were heard from all around as others stood in their place, wondering what was going on.

Almost immediately, the lights came back on, but the music didn't. Couples who stood ready on the dance floor, headed to tables so they could sit.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mikan saw Narumi-sensei running towards them. He seemed to be in a hurry.

"Mikan-chan, we need your help." He was panting quite heavily, and seemed like he could fall any second.

"What happened?" Mikan asked, a quizzical face appearing.

Narumi-sensei looked around to see if they were being overheard, but everyone was paying attention to their food as well as their friend's food. "We need you to sing a song for the last dance. That power out, it overloaded the system and it doesn't work, it doesn't even turn on."

Mikan looked at Hotaru, who gave her approval with a slight nod. "Sure Narumi-sensei, what song am I singing?"

Narumi-sensei sighed with relief, he was finally out of his panic state. "You can choose any, c'mon, your band may not be here but a guitar should be enough. I have them set it up on stage right away."

"Whoa, hold it. The last dance is for couples. If I present in front of them, they won't pay attention to their partners, they'll be screaming for me. I am not appearing on stage as the celebrity me." The brunette commanded.

"T-then w-what do you s-suggest?" He replied stuttering.

"Do you have like a recording room that's connected to the speakers? It can't be a room or else there will be interference." She pretended not to notice the stuttering.

Narumi-sensei's face fell. "I'm sorry, but we don't have a soundproof recording room." What was he going to do now?

Mikan became disappointed as well. She really wanted the Last Dance to work out, so couples could get together, and girls like Anna and Nonoko could confess their love.

"I have an idea." A voice said, interrupting both Narumi-sensei's and Mikan's thoughts.

They turned to the voice, realizing that it belonged to Hotaru.

"I have an invention that will help." The amethyst eyed inventor began to head towards the stage, signaling Mikan and Narumi-sensei to follow her.

Oh wait, she forgot something.

She turned around to face Ruka, Natsume, and Youichi who were listening intently the whole time. "You guys can come too, but you'll have to pay 50 rabbits each."

Mikan and Narumi-sensei sweat dropped.

"Tch." Somehow, the raven-haired boy expected this, so he came prepared.

He pulled out a 150 rabbits and shoved it into Hotaru's hand. "I'm only doing this so we can hide from fan girls, not so we can hear the little girl's ugly shrieking." He clarified.

"Natsume!!!" Mikan pouted.

"Fine whatever, why would you want to come then?" Hotaru eagerly waited for an answer while secretly hold a video camera.

Natsume looked away. "If we stay, we're going to be run over by fan girls two seconds before the dance starts. It happened last year, don't you remember? We hid somewhere but you found out and sold us off to those demented fan girls for the price of 1000 rabbits."

Readers, that's probably the longest speech he's ever said and will ever say in his life. Anyways, they went back stage to discover only teachers there, and there was only one or two.

"So how are you going to make this work, Hotaru?" Mikan asked.

Hotaru walked next to the sound system and unplugged the wire that connected to the speakers.

"Just watch." She ordered.

Hotaru suddenly pulled out a remote from nowhere. The remote had a big red button on it. She pressed it and stepped back.

Out popped a giant turtle room that had a door but no window. It laid on the floor ready for action.

Hotaru flipped open the tail to reveal a plug. She placed the wire firmly into it as the turtle's eyes lit up.

"Follow me." She ordered.

Suddenly, the door flew opened and they stepped in. They were awed at the sight.

It was a recording studio with all the latest technologies. The room was entirely white with soundproof cloth and materials that formed the walls. Half of the room was cut off and separated by a glass window and door. The equipment were pushed against the glass, with two seats. Behind it, was a couch and coffee table pushed against the back wall, facing the recording booth. The furniture and equipment were white as well.

Everyone snapped out of their amazement when Hotaru turned around. "Narumi-sensei, you'll need to announce the dance outside so we don't cause any suspicions. We'll give you the signal when it's ready. Mikan, do you have your song?"

"I do, and it's the perfect song too." Mikan squealed and smiled at the same time.

"Well, then tell me." Hotaru responded impatiently.

"It's . . . ." Mikan leaned closer to Hotaru and whispered something into her ear.

"Ok, I have that song in my files anyways." Hotaru replied.

Hotaru went to one of the computers and started to search for something.

The rest of them stood silently, watching Hotaru do her job.

Suddenly, Mikan started to pull off her disguise. Her newly loosened hair fell to her waist, the light reflecting off of it, revealing its silkiness. Each strand fell perfectly into place. She took of her glass and took out a contacts case, and took out her contacts.

Both Ruka and Natsume stared at the brunette beauty. Silence still lingering in the air.

"What are you doing?" Natsume asked, tearing his eyes away.

Mikan looked up at him and smiled. "I can't sing with my disguise on so I took it off."

"Onee-chan." Youichi ran forward and hugged Mikan's knees. He looked up at her as she picked him up.

"Yes, You-chan." She replied, smiling.

Youichi gave a small smile back and continued to hug her.

"Okay, I found the sound and the system's ready. Mikan, go into the recording booth. Narumi-sensei, we're ready to start any time, but once you leave this room, you can't come back in." Hotaru stood up and commanded.

Narumi-sensei smiled a little. "Okay, I'll go right now and thank you for helping."

Mikan put Youichi on the floor and headed into the separate room, bordered by glass. There was a microphone and headset in there so she put it on and faced the microphone, ready to sing.

Narumi-sensei headed out the door, which locked automatically once it closed shut.

Hotaru sat back down and pressed a button.

The three boys sat on the couch quietly, waiting for something to happen.

" Sorry, for the delay minna-san. The last dance is about to begin so get into position." Narumi-sensei's voice sounded over the speakers and was also heard in the turtle room.

Shuffling and cheers could be heard on the speakers until it calmed down.

Inside the recording booth, Mikan took a deep breath, it was all up to her now.

Hotaru gave a thumbs up to Mikan and pressed a button.

Music started and could be heard through the speakers.

"_**I think of you . . . .always." **_Mikan whispered.

_**When I'm down and all alone  
When nothing seems to matter  
When I lose my hope  
When I'm sad and confused**_

A beautiful, soft voice filled the air, matching the melody perfectly.

_**When it all gets turned around and 'round  
I can't seem to reach for solid ground  
When everything I've believed in seems untrue  
All I have to do**_

Natsume, Ruka and Youichi were awed. Through the glass, it looked like an angel was singing, emotions poured over the speakers, molding itself into words.

_**Is think of you  
I think of you and it's gone  
Like you chase away the storm  
Making it all okay  
I think of you  
I think of you and I'm strong  
And I know I can go on  
It's like you set me free  
When life gets the best of me  
I just think of you**_

Outside, couples danced, not noticing that the song wasn't a recording. Love was in the air and everyone could sense it.

_**Now I know what love means  
And whatever life may hold for me  
Through the fire  
Through the rain I believe**_

_**Cause there's nothing I can't bear  
Knowing that you will be there  
If I fall I won't break  
Through it all I'll make it through  
Cause all I have to do**_

Hotaru smiled contently in her seat. She knew that Mikan was giving it all she had. Mikan was truly a music genius.

_**Is think of you  
I think of you and it's gone  
Like you chase away the storm  
Making it all okay  
I think of you  
I think of you and I'm strong  
And I know I can go on  
It's like you set me free  
When life gets the best of me  
I just think of you**_

Mikan poured her emotions into it, secretly wishing that things would work out for all couples out there.

_**And when I think I'm all alone  
I can't see the way to go  
Lost in the rain of my own tears  
To wash away the pain and fear**_

Natsume was in awe. In reality, coming with Hotaru and Mikan was so he could hear her sing, wanting to hear her angelic voice once again. But just like before, he was shocked at how such an expressive and graceful voice could even belong to a human. To him, it's like he was drowning in heaven's melody.

_**Is think of you  
I think of you and it's gone  
Like you chase away the storm  
Making it all okay  
I think of you  
I think of you and I'm strong  
And I know I can go on  
It's like you set me free  
When life gets the best of me  
I just think of you**_

This was it, after the next verse, the song, the dance, and the festival would officially be over. Memories of the festival resurfaced for Mikan, the concert, the songs, the fans, making her predictions come true, meeting Youichi, getting busted by the three guys sitting outside at the moment, everything came flooding back, bringing forth a smile on her face as she sang.

_**For the good times and the bad times  
I just think of you  
Cause you know you get the best of me  
I just think of you**_

_**

* * *

**_The moon was shining through the curtains, as a tired brunette rolled around in her bed, trying to sleep. She failed miserably and let out a sigh. 

She decided to go out and take a short walk to calm her excitement. Even though the festival was over, it was still fresh in her mind, and it only seemed like yesterday when it started.

She grabbed a thin jacket from her closet and her key and left her room, locking it behind her.

Outside, there was a full moon. The light it emitted was crisp and casts shadows over everything. It was exactly like the first night she was here.

She walked towards a sakura tree, which she recognized as the one she was near when she beat those guys up. She sat down, leaning herself on the trunk of the tree. She didn't bother with her disguise, thinking that no one would be out this time of night.

Oh, how wrong she was.

Up on a branch, a crimson eyed boy stared down at her. He immediately recognized her since the moon was bright tonight. "Oi, little girl."

Mikan gasped and looked around, not recognizing that the voice belonged to Natsume. She suddenly came to a sudden realization that she didn't have her disguise on and would yet again be found out by another person. She frantically looked around, trying to see who it was.

"Up here." He directed.

Mikan looked up and immediately began to breathe again when she realized who it was.

Natsume jumped off the branch of the tree and landed silently on the ground.

His crimson eyes seemed to glow as he turned and faced her. "What are you doing here?"

Mikan gazed deep into his tantalizing and interrogative eyes. "I couldn't sleep, is it a crime? And what are you doing here?"

"Hn." Was all he said.

Mikan smiled. "You can sit with me, you know."

Mikan moved over a bit as Natsume sat down, for once not saying anything that would provoke Mikan into a state of anger.

They sat in silence and watched the moon, which playfully faded into moving, puffy clouds and reappeared over and over.

Mikan decided to break the silence. "Neh, Natsume. On the first night I was here, I saw you."

Natsume glanced over at Mikan, who was staring off into the distance.

"But I didn't know who you were. You were wearing your cat mask then so I couldn't even see your face. You may tease me, and be a pervert but I know deep down you're actually really nice and I'm glad to have met you." She faced him now and smiled.

Natsume felt a blush creep upon his cheeks but fortunately, the moon hid once again, causing the light to disappear as well so Mikan couldn't see his face.

Mikan continued. "I can't help but wonder but why didn't you dance. You said it was because of fan girls but I think there's more to that."

'_It's because you weren't my partner.' _He thought faintly. He blushed even further but looked away.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Mikan get up. He faced her once again only to notice that she was smiling.

"Oh well, I'm pretty sure you have your reasons." Mikan said, reply to her own question. "But I want to ask you for a favor. I know that the famous Natsume Hyuuga doesn't dance but I was wondering if you could dance with me, right here, right now. I mean, it's not fair that I got to dance with Yuu, Koko, Ruka, You-chan and Narumi-sensei but I didn't dance with you. Come on, get up."

"Baka, how are we suppose to dance with no music. Plus I wouldn't be caught dead dancing with you." Natsume lied.

"You're the idiot here, anyone can dance without music. You just need to feel it in your heart. And we won't be caught, since we're the only ones here and I activated my Alice so Hotaru won't know. It' will be our little secret. Please!" Mikan pleaded, forming puppy eyes.

It was very effective since he was looking straight at her and the moon was very bright at the moment. Not just that, her hair was flying loosely in the light wind and the nightdress she had on looked very cute on her, even if she had her jacket on, which was unzipped so it didn't matter whether or not she had it on.

Natsume could feel his resistance failing as he gazed upon her, unable to take his eyes off her at the moment. "Fine, only if you shut up afterwards and _swear_ not to tell anyone." _'Crap! I gave in'_

Mikan smiled and nodded. "Fine, I'll shut up afterwards and don't worry, I'll definitely keep this a secret.

Mikan stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Natsume's neck while he did the same but to her waist.

Mikan hummed the song that she sang a couple hours ago. Her voice was soft and almost silent so only she and Natsume could hear it.

Natsume could fell Mikan's petit waist under her nightdress, which was pretty thin by the way. He wanted to stay this way forever and lost himself to the moment.

Mikan could feel her heart hammering as she continued to hum. _'Why am I feeling this way? Is there something wrong with me? Why's my heart beating so fast? What's this feeling? This feeling's different from when I danced with the others. Why is it so different with Natsume?' _

She finished her song as both of them snapped back to reality, both blushing but only slightly. They let go of each other and stayed silent for a few minutes.

"Come on, we should go back in." Natsume started to walk towards the dormitory.

Mikan followed and pushed her thoughts aside, completely forgetting about it.

They parted ways and went to their respective rooms.

Mikan climbed into bed and felt sleep coming quickly.

'_I wonder what will happen tomorrow?'_

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Arigato for reading minna-san. i'm sorry for the ultra long update and I hope you understand. By the way, as a side note, I don't have anything against gay people, since I have gay friends as well but in this story, Narumi-sensei is more "in touch" with his feminine side than the actual manga and anime, I'm sorry if I offended anyone. I apreciate all your comments and again review and revise. Also, I am not obssessed with Aly and Ajy. I don't have anything against them because their songs are really good. It's just that their songs suit her character in this story and I actually can imagine her singing the song. I have found other songs by different artists as well that suit her, for example, the song in this chapter. It 'I think of you' by Tata Young.**

** You may or may not have noticed this but I tried my best to bash Sumire to bits everytime she appears. Sorry, but it's not that I really don't like her. It's just that it's very fun to make fun of her. You might have noticed this especially when I was describing her. **

**To minahoru: I'd love to help you in fashions, and I hope the fashions for guys that I described in this chapter helps. I don't know how you can possibly contact me on this website but if you find a way, tell me and I'll be more than happy to help. **

**Again, review and advise, please try your best and be patient for the next chapter. I'm so sorry for the wait. **

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	15. Chapter 15

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!! **_

Ah, the birds were cheerfully chirping, the clouds were carelessly drifting and classes resumed. It was a beautiful morning and ev-

"OHAYO!"

Ahem, like I was saying, everything was back to normal. Classes resumed to its' tightly packed schedules, and homework was loaded upon the students more than ever. Everything was back to normal, the only thing that hasn't died down yet was the excitement from the festival, which still plagues everyone for god knows how long.

As usual, the one and only disguised brunette entered her classroom looking and feeling as cheerful as ever.

"HOTARU!!!"

_**baka baka baka**_

In a flash, Mikan, who happened to be running to her 'beloved' Hotaru, crashed against the wall, causing the wall and roof to shake a little bit from the sudden impact. Of course, this was all normal on a school day like this. As for the wall and roof, I don't know how much more it could possibly take.

"Ow! Hotaru!" Mikan cried while dusting her skirt as she got up.

"Are you okay, Mikan?" Yuu asked, his voice full of concern, even though this happened everyday.

Mikan flashed a quick smile at Yuu. "Yeah, I am. Don't worry."

Suddenly, Nonoko came through the classroom door. Spotting Yuu right away, she ran to his side and hugged him, planting a kiss on the cheek of the embarrassed Yuu.

"Ohayo, my dear Yuu. Ohayo, Mikan." She greeted, still holding onto Yuu.

Yuu blushed and wrapped one of his arms around Nonoko's waist.

Nonoko blushed at his touch as well but stayed in her position.

Mikan, being a front row guest at what just happened, giggled at the two lovers. It only seemed like yesterday when they confessed to each other during the Last Dance.

Mikan headed to her seat, spotting Koko and Anna sitting together and laughing while holding hands. Mikan sighed to herself, her face full of joy and happiness to the two newfound couples.

As she sat down, she noticed two boys walk through the door.

Girls all around squealed and shrieked their names with hearts in their eyes. The rest of the class felt a little nauseous from high-pitched comments and the faces of flirting girls all around.

Suddenly, sounds of bullets surprised the entire class and as quickly as it was heard, all the screaming fan girls were sent flying against the walls, each landing in very uncomfortable positions.

People looked around for the culprit as the fan girls began to summon a murderous aura, ready to pummel whoever it was that sent them flying.

Mikan, who had taken a keen interest in the situation followed the direction from where the bullets came from, her eyes landing on a particular person. The rest of the class noticed this and followed her gaze, gasping as they realized who it was.

The entire fan club lost their killer aura when they too, realized who it was.

It was Hotaru. She sat at her desk, working on an invention as usual and not taking any interest in her surroundings. In front of her, a pole was propped up on top of her desk, reaching and stretching for the ceiling. A bar was stuck across the pole, forming a 'T'. Ten baka guns were attached to either side, each gun had smoke coming out of it, ready for more 'morning exercise'. Everything gleamed and sparkled with the evil that the genius Hotaru had implanted while building such an invention.

The amethyst eyed girl looked up from her work, her raven locks casually backing off to reveal her emotionless face. " Invention no. 3008, the multi-baka gun fan girl weapon. It automatically fires air bullets at idiotic fan girls who cause too much noise in the morning and disturbs me. It also has knives and other weapons installed for further torture."

Everyone sweatdropped as Hotaru glared mutiny at the fan girls, who silently got the message and backed off into a corner, each afraid for their own lives.

The class atmosphere resumed and Natsume and Ruka sat down in their seats, waiting for first period to begin.

"Ohayo, Natsume. Ohayo Ruka-pyon." Mikan smiled at them.

"Ohayo Mikan-chan." Ruka returned her smile, while stroking his bunny.

Natsume flipped open his manga and began to read, not responding to Mikan in any way.

Before Mikan could even get angry with Natsume though, the door slammed open and in hopped none other than Narumi-sensei, their homeroom teacher.

He skipped happily to the front of the class before looking around to see if everyone was in their seat.

"Ohayo minna-san." Narumi-sensei sang happily.

Unfortunately, he was quite off key but didn't give any time for his students to complain. "Okay, I know you guys are still excited from the festival that just ended a week ago. Unfortunately, I must inform you that your final exams will take place in two and a half weeks from now. So minna-san, study-up. You won't have classes but you will need to be in your classrooms until lunch time, then you will get the rest of the day off. Oh yeah, Natsume, Persona wants to see you at lunchtime, so report to the faculty room then." Narumi twirled himself out of the room.

Everyone began talking once again while pulling textbooks, papers and pencils out.

Mikan made a short list of what she needed to study for on each of her subject. It wasn't a lot since she was a genius after all. She didn't need two and a half weeks to study, maybe she could fill it in with more 'missions'. But she couldn't do that since Hotaru might need the time to study.

Oh well its not like she could study for the next few days anyways. Tonight, _the_ Mikan Sakura is going to have an interview on Japan Nightlight, a very popular tv show that featured only the best of the best. Anyone that would even turn down an opportunity to appear on that show would lose popularity and would practically be titled 'idiot'. They had to leave at 5 pm today, since they also had a photo shoot before the show. This was going to be one heck of a day and there was plenty more to come.

The bell snapped Mikan out of her thoughts, signaling that lunchtime had officially begun.

Out of the corner of her eye, the brunette noticed the classroom door swing open and in stepped a young teal eyed boy.

He began to walk towards her, his innocent eyes laid upon her while emitting an aura warning people to back off from him. Unfortunately, one person didn't heed that warning.

"My dear little Youichi, come to mommy." Sumire stepped forward with open arms.

Youichi stopped in his tracks and stared up at the ugly monster. "Back off hag!"

As comical it seems, the 'ugly monster' ran out of the room crying, heartbroken that her dear little Youichi would say such a thing to her, even though he does that every time.

Everyone sweatdropped at the scene.

The sweet and innocent looking boy continued towards Mikan, who was trying to suppress a giggle.

"Onee-chan." Youichi greeted.

Mikan smiled, the giggling that tried to escape was gone for the moment. "Hi You-chan. Good job with Permy back there."

Youichi smiled innocently at the comment. "Thank you, I try my best."

Everyone sweatdropped.

Mikan let out a fit of giggles before calming down. "Let's go outside and eat."

"Hai!" Youichi responded obediently.

"Hey, you guys want to come too?" Mikan directed at her other six friends.

"Sorry, but Yuu and I are going to the library." Nonoko responded.

"And Koko and I are going somewhere a little more . . . quiet." Anna said while winking at Koko, who gulped and started to sweat at the statement.

Mikan chuckled at this, while little You-chan looked confused, looks like there are still some things the little boy is innocent to.

Mikan turned her attention to Hotaru and Ruka. "How about you guys, are you coming?"

"Sure, I have nothing else to do." Ruka replied smiling.

"Whatever, I need to take a break from my invention anyways." The amethyst eyed girl responded in her usual monotone.

The four friends headed out towards the sakura tree so they could eat their lunches in peace.

* * *

Silence seemed to engulf his entire being as he tried to sense his whereabouts.

His crimson eyes darting through his surroundings as if trying to take a hint. "Oi, Persona. I know you're there, come out."

But the silence stayed and became more deafening than ever.

"Tch." Was all he said when he didn't receive an answer. He couldn't believe it. He slipped out of the classroom at start of lunch and made his way to the faculty room as ordered. Unfortunately that damned Persona decided to play a little and left a note on his desk, directing him towards certain coordinates deep in the Northern Forest.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared in front of him. He wore a black, closed trench coat, high heeled shoes, black lipstick and many Alice control devices. The most noticeable thing about his appearance was the white mask on his face, hiding his eyes and the bridge of his nose.

"Good job, Natsume. I trained my Black Cat well." He started, shattering the eerie silence.

"Just get to the point, Persona." He glared at his despicable teacher, his crimson eyes seemed to turn blood red as they rested upon him.

"My, my. Aren't we impatient." Persona smirked, much to Natsume's annoyance.

"Tch." The boy was starting to get more impatient with each passing second.

"Fine." He gave in. "Meet me here at 5pm today, you have a mission. You will be retrieving some data that will be helpful to the Academy and its' needs." He said slyly before disappearing back into the shadows.

Natsume grimaced and glared at the spot where he once was. He absolutely hated that teacher no matter what, he made his life a living hell with all the missions and darkness.

The wind gently picked up as the raven-haired boy headed out of the forest, deciding to head to his sakura tree.

* * *

Laughter and quiet chit chat was heard along with the chirping birds and the sweet accompaniment of the wind.

Under a certain sakura tree, four friends occupied it, entertaining themselves with each other's conversations and food. Because no one was around, Mikan could be her usual self.

"Neh, Hotaru, what time are we leaving?" The brunette asked curiously while munching on a cookie.

Hotaru looked towards Mikan. "At 5pm, why?"

"Oh, nothing. I just forgot." She replied innocently.

Hotaru murmured under her breath. "Baka."

Of course Mikan heard this and as usual, she wasn't going to take this sitting down. "Hotaru, don't say such things." She whined.

"Where are you going?" Ruka interrupted.

Mikan turned to Ruka, chopsticks in hand. "Oh, we have a mission. I'm going to a photo shoot and a tv interview."

"Is that the Japan Nightlight show that the magazines and classmates have been talking about for the past couple of days." Ruka asked, nibbling on his own chopsticks.

"Yeah, it is." Mikan replied without even looking up.

"Wait, hold on. I thought that show was live? And it doesn't start until 10pm. You're leaving at 5pm so that means your photo shoot is about 5 hours long, is that really necessary?" The curiosity in his voice was overwhelming.

Mikan looked up this time. "Oh, the shoot is only for 4 hours. The studio and interview is in Tokyo so it will probably take about 10 minutes to get there. Plus, the studio isn't very far from the interview place so I'll have a lot of time to sign autographs and such. Also, a four hour photo shoot is pretty average and I have more this week so I'm used to it."

Ruka was in a state of shock so the only thing that passed his lips was "Oh."

"I'm going to watch you tonight, onee-chan." Youichi looked up innocently from his food, admiration sparkling from his teal eyes.

Facing her little You-chan, she smiled lovingly at him. She had grown to adore the boy and loved it every time he called her onee-chan. "Thank you You-chan."

Youichi smiled before returning to his food.

"Hey Mikan. What are you wearing for the interview? It had better be good since you don't want to make a fool of yourself on LIVE tv." Hotaru asked in her usual monotone.

Mikan directed her attention to Hotaru. "I'm planning to wear that dress that I showed you the other day and black heels."

"Okay, show me again before we leave." The amethyst eyed girl ordered.

By now, the four friends were done and were enjoying the afternoon peace by studying a bit.

"Oi!" A voice sounded, snapping the four friends back to reality.

They turned to the direction of the voice and noticed Natsume walking towards them.

"Hey Natsume." Mikan yelled, standing up and waving.

Natsume covered his ears before responding. "Damn it, shut up. Your voice irritates me, polka dots."

A wind passed by, whistling past Mikan as she stood there, shocked at what he just said.

"P-Polka dots . . . ." She muttered under her breath.

Far, far away, the sun shone brightly upon the land as little children ran around playing a joyful game of tag. That is, until the ground started to shake uncontrollably. One by one the children lost there balance and looked around to see what was happening.

"NATSUME!!!!"

"Shut up, you're going to break my ear drums." The raven haired boy covered his ears once again, provoking the young brunette to no end.

"Natsume, when, where and how did you see my panties." Mikan yelled, while holding a fist in the air, ready to beat up anyone that tries to go near her.

Natsume smirked. "When you stood up and started waving, you showed me. It wasn't my fault. But seriously, what's wrong with your taste in underwear. It's so childish. First strawberries, now polka dots. What next? Sunshine and rainbows?"

"Damn you Natsume. What's wrong with you? Next time, at least keep it to yourself, you son of a b-"

_**baka baka baka**_

Suddenly, both Mikan and Natsume flew from the tree, landing on their heads.

Mikan got up, tears brimming in her eyes while caressing the bump on her head. "Mou, Hotaru! Why did you do that? You're so mean." She whined.

"You're too loud and you shouldn't swear, Youichi is here." Hotaru reminded her.

Natsume sat down beside Youichi, also rubbing his head from the hit. "Then, why did you hit me?" He demanded.

"I just never hit you with my baka gun before." She replied, as if stating the obvious.

Mikan and Ruka sweatdropped while Natsume growled. Youichi sat there wondering what in the world was happening.

The next couple minutes passed by with a glaring contest between Hotaru and Natsume.

"Um . . . I think we should get going now." Mikan said, breaking the tense silence.

"Yeah, you're right. Youichi needs his afternoon nap about now anyways." Ruka said, trying to back Mikan up.

Youichi looked up at his uncle Ruka like he was crazy. "What are you talking about. I'm too old for naps." He retorted.

"I said, Youichi needs his afternoon nap." Ruka emphasized, his azure eyes warning Youichi not to say anything more.

"Come on Hotaru, you have to check my outfit for tonight. So come on." Mikan pleaded, trying to break Hotaru's attention away from killing Natsume.

"Fine." Hotaru gave in, while giving Natsume one more death glare. "But don't think I don't know what you're up to." She warned.

Hotaru and Mikan gathered their belongings before leaving, only Mikan waved good bye.

More silence passed between Natsume and Ruka, probably because Ruka was trying to clean up the rest of their mess, picking up a few scattered textbooks on the soft, green grass.

Youichi sat there, his eyes squinting from the afternoon sun. "You know what, Uncle Ruka. I think I'll have that nap after all." He said, yawning.

Both Ruka and Natsume saw this and chuckled inwardly, both thinking of the irony of the situation.

"Let's go in then Youichi, we'll drop you off." Natsume said softly, care evident in his voice.

The three boys got up and went back to the dorm.

The afternoon sun was high in the sky, the time was 4:15 pm.

* * *

Off in the distance, an owl could be heard. Clouds were scattered in the dark, midnight sky, but the moon could be seen perfectly. The rustling of leaves in the forest made everything seem calmer than it really was.

'_Damn that Persona and his stupid mission.' _He thought, panting heavily while jumping from one branch to the next. He was clutching his arm, blood visibly soaking through his clothing.

The mission nearly killed him tonight, though he would never admit it out loud.

He landed on the familiar pavement of the school ground and began to make his way back to the dormitories, panting heavier with each step of the way.

He stopped by the sakura tree where he was that afternoon, thinking of the nice, quiet, peace with his friends. He was going to have one hell of a painful night tonight and he knew that all too well.

Suddenly, his vision started to blur. The pain from the overuse of his Alice taking effect, coming at full force. He collapsed against the tree, his breathing becoming raspy.

He felt a painful tug in his chest, a pain that was familiar to him since it always happened after missions.

'_Damn it'_ He thought, struggling to get up. Unfortunately, his vision blurred once more before he collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

* * *

"Thanks for the ride." Mikan waved happily as the limo drove off.

The moon was high in the sky, its crescent shape emitted enough light to see by in the darkness of the night.

Hotaru yawned before heading off to the dormitories. It had been a very tiring evening and the ice queen was more than determined to get to bed as soon as possible.

"Come on, let's go." She commanded impatiently, her amethyst eyes beginning to droop.

"Coming." Mikan replied happily. Even though she was more tired than Hotaru, she surely didn't show it.

The two friends parted for their separate rooms.

* * *

She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. It was late at night but no matter what the brunette did, she just couldn't fall asleep. She was still too excited from that night's events.

The clothes she tried on for the photo shoot were just simply adorable, it was a shame that she could only wear them for less than 5 minutes. Assortment of colors and pieces of garments flashed in her mind, replaying as she remembered each and every single one. Everything was just simply divine.

The talk show that night was even better. She got to meet some of her fans there, signing autographs and taking pictures as well. She even made friends with the two hosts of the popular talk show, clicking with them at first sight.

Mikan let out a deep sigh before getting out of her bed. She just couldn't sleep, especially when she was recalling all these flashbacks.

She got a thin sweater and headed out for a nice evening stroll, not bothering with her disguise. No one would be out at this hour anyways.

Outside, the chilly breeze wrapped around Mikan, caressing her cheeks while softly playing with her hair, trailing it behind her with each step she took.

It was so quiet here compared to the city. If she still lived there, she would have never went out for a walk, not unless she wanted to be run over by fans, that included even the dead of night.

By the moonlight, she could make out the shape of the path that she was walking on, recognizing the familiar scenery. She caught sight of the sakura tree blowing in the wind and relaxed more than ever.

Suddenly, she caught sight of an unfamiliar shape collapsed beside the tree. She began to tense up as she noticed it wasn't moving.

She was worried about the person and wanted to help them but kept in mind that she didn't have her disguise on at the time. What was she going to do?

Her mind went back and forth, wondering what she should do. She started to walk towards the figure, unaware that she was even moving.

When she finally snapped back to reality, she found herself standing in front of the figure, quickly realizing that the it was bleeding quite a bit.

She gasped and immediately knelt down, turning the body over to examine the wound and completely forgetting about her disguise.

Under the moonlight, she came to a sudden realization that it was a boy that was bleeding quite badly. She looked at his face, gasping once again, for the boy was none other than . . .

"Natsume." She murmured under her breath in the still night.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Thank you for reading once again. I have a new obssession with rulers at the moment, you know the little line that divides the story up above. Yeah, well, I have come to a recent discovery of those, which is quite sad because it is directly on the site as I am typing this now. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and so very sorry for making you wait. My excuse, i have very cruel teachers who believe stuffing students with homework for all eight subjects is good, but then again what teacher isn't like that. I know I'm blabbing a lot at the moment even though I'm typing this but what I'm trying to say is please (and I'm on my knees as I'm saying this) be patient. **

**By the way, to minahoru: I'd love to be your friend. I'm so happy at the moment that I'm jumping up and down and it's not just because I had a lot of sugar. **

**I'd love to be everyone's friends, kiss kiss hug hug Hi all my new and unknown friends (waving). **

**Please review and cotinue to advise me. muah ciao!**


	16. Chapter 16

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!!**_

Rays of sunlight streaked through the windows, the curtains not being much of a barrier. It bounced off every corner of the room, signaling a new day.

In bed laid a raven haired boy, his crimson eyes concealed by his eyelids. Beside him, crouching on the floor and leaning on the bed was an exhausted brunette. Her hair was strewn everywhere, draping itself along her back while some lay on the bed. Beside her sat a first aid box.

Suddenly, his eyes shot up as if he'd been trying to gain consciousness all this time but failed in doing so for the past hours. His crimson eyes surveyed the room while he, himself tried to move.

He realized he couldn't move due to the injuries and he wasn't in his own room. He balled his hands into fists, finally discovering that another hand was held in one of his. He followed the length of the arm to find scattered brunette hair on the bed. His gaze immediately softened as he realized whom it was.

'_What am I doing here? Wasn't I just at the sakura tree before? Is this her room? Well, it definitely smells like her.' _He thought. His eyes scanned the room, taking quick notes before stopping at the sight of a clock. The time read 6:45 am.

There was still more than an hour and a half until school.

Suddenly, the hand in his palm tightened, giving his hand a light squeeze, his eyes darted to her at the action.

Her eyelids fluttered slowly, as if forcing the brunette to wake up and yet coaxing her back to sleep. Her body began to shift and all of her hair fell off the bed, trailing behind her.

Natsume watched the girl with slight amusement, her eyes finally opening.

She let go of his hand to rub her eye. "Ohayo." She muttered sleepily.

As soon as the sleep left her eyes, she stared at him, her eyes wide with shock.

"NATSUME!!! HENTAI!!" She yelled, cowering away from the bed where he laid.

"Shut up, little girl. You're so annoying first thing in the morning." He complained, covering his ears, while struggling to get up, discovering that his wounds didn't hurt as much.

"What are you doing here, Natsume? What did you do to me? Why are you in my room?" She asked, half shouting.

"What are you talking about? I should be the one to ask that. When I woke up I was already here and I have no idea how I got here. Maybe YOU did something to ME!!" The raven-haired boy retorted.

Mikan stared at him for a moment, her memories of last night coming backing to her.

"Oh my God!! Natsume, are you all right?" She suddenly yelled.

Natsume covered his ears once more. "Damn it. What part of shut up don't you understand?"

"Sorry." She pouted slightly.

Natsume let go of his ears. "So how did I get here?"

"Oh that's easy." She started, recalling a memory. "Last night, I couldn't sleep so I went out for a walk. I walked by the sakura tree and saw you collapsed by it. So I carried you back and bandaged your wounds and stuff."

"Tch." He replied as he began to examine the bandages. They were really well wrapped. Even a nurse couldn't have done better and for some reason, his body didn't hurt as much as usual after a mission. Actually, he was feeling pretty good, his wounds not stinging one bit.

Mikan noticed this and smiled. "You should feel alright by now. Your wounds are still there of course, but they shouldn't hurt anymore. I applied a special medicine to them so it will heal quicker and the wounds will be numb, making sure you won't feel the pain from it."

"What kind of medicine is that?" He questioned, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

A faint blush appeared on Mikan's cheeks, but her smile stayed. "Well . . . you see . . . . I made it. I'm a special star like you, remember. I'm a genius so I mixed some herbs together and made this special poultice. It quite handy, if I do have to say so myself."

"Oh." Was all he said, his mind in a state of amazement even though he didn't seem like it.

"How did you get like that anyways?" His eyes shot up at her as she eyed him suspiciously.

"Mission." He replied, summing all of last night's events in one word.

Her bangs hiding her eyes she replied. "Oh."

The memories of each wound on his body appeared in her mind. _'A mission. Why did he have to take a mission? Those wounds from last night were horrible. There was so much bloodshed that I thought his life would be in danger. I need to find a way to make sure he's not taking anymore missions.' _

She snapped out of her thoughts and read the time on the clock. There was a little over an hour until class started.

She sighed and got up, surprising the raven haired boy with her sudden actions.

She opened her closet and disappeared for a few moments. When she finally reappeared, she was holding two sets of clothes.

She tossed one set to him. "Here get changed into these." She commanded.

Natsume looked down at the clothing as Mikan disappeared through the bathroom door.

Natsume quickly changed, still sitting on the bed. As he unraveled the clothing, he discovered that it was a boy's school uniform. Why would she have that?

Moments after he was change, Mikan stepped out of the bathroom, in uniform and disguise.

She smiled at him, noticing that he was changed. Now usually, if Natsume was a normal boy, he would have grimaced when such an 'ugly' girl smiled at him. But since, he isn't exactly normal and he knew that she was in disguise, he kept his cold facade, not feeling a tinge of disgust at all.

"Why do you have boy's clothes?" He asked, his eyebrow raised slightly.

"Oh that. Last night, when I carried you into my room, I noticed your clothes were ruined so I requested for another set of clothes for you from the dorm caretaker. Since I'm a special star, she had to grant my request no matter what time it was and how weird it seemed when I requested for a boy's clothing." She explained in a detailed manner.

"Whatever." He grumbled in reply.

Mikan smiled. "Okay, lets' eat breakfast."

Natsume started to get off the bed, struggling in his weakened state. He guess the mission took a lot more than expected. Suddenly, he felt a sudden jolt of pain. Not from his wounds, which were numb at the moment but from his exhausted muscles, still begging for more rest.

Mikan noticed his struggle and quickly rushed to his aid with a worried look on her face. "Are you alright? Your body should still be sore, since you collapsed from exhaustion last night so it might be difficult to do half the stuff on a regular school day like this. Here let me help you."

Mikan placed one of his hands around her shoulder while one of her hands snaked around his waist. They stood up and made their way to Mikan's kitchen, Natsume relying slightly on Mikan by leaning on her.

After a quick breakfast, Mikan ran back to her room, leaving Natsume struggling to get to the front door.

By the time Natsume reached the door, he was slightly panting. The door was a lot farther than it seemed.

Mikan came back moments later with two bags in her hand, she dropped one of them on the floor, which happened to be a duffel bag.

Mikan looked up and smiled. "Hold on, I just have one more thing to do." And with that she left Natsume standing there once again.

He saw her rush back down the hall, a key in hand. He watched as she stopped in front of a closed door and placed the key inside. As she turned it, she heard a lock snap into place.

She rushed back to him, putting the key around her neck.

"What's with the duffel bag and why the heck did you lock the door polka-dots?" He asked, his curiosity peaking once again.

"You pervert. I have a mission right after class so the duffel bag is for me to grab and go. That door leads to my office. The maid is coming this afternoon and is required to clean every room she can get her hands on so I locked the door that could reveal that I'm the celebrity Mikan Sakura. For some reason, all these doors and locks in this room are indestructible and Alice-proof. I don't know why but it seems it is." She replied.

Natsume nodded and opened the door, taking a step outside. Mikan followed suit and locked her door.

"I'm guessing you're going to be having trouble walking to class, so I'll help you or else we're both going to be late." She said, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

Natsume didn't say anything but wrapped one of his arms around Mikan's neck. Mikan did the same, but to his waist. They slowly made their way to the classroom.

Along the way, people were giving the couple a strange stare. Most girls were glaring daggers at Mikan but Mikan didn't notice this. Instead, Natsume did and glared equally in reply, warning all to shut up and move on with their pathetic lives.

Finally, after numerous staggering minutes, they arrived step in step at their classroom door. Mikan pushed open the classroom door and the two stepped in.

Inside, the classroom was as chatty as usual but as the couple entered the class, everyone grew quiet, shocked at what was before their eyes.

Everyone watched as she helped him into his seat, each mind perked with curiosity and shock at the current situation.

"What in the world are you doing with my Natsume, Sakura?!" A green haired girl demanded as she suddenly approached.

Mikan replied nonchalantly as if stating the obvious. "I'm helping the injured."

Sumire growled. "Listen, you little bitch. Don't ever lay a hand on Natsume-sama ever again, you hear me you witch."

Mikan smirked at this. "What if I don't?" She questioned playfully.

"You'll regret the day you lived." Sumire replied confidently.

"I'm regretting it now because I have to listen to your god damn annoying voice. And just because you saw Natsume and I like that once, it doesn't mean it will happen again. Even IF we were a couple, I believe in the 'hands off in public' rule so you don't have anything to worry about." Mikan continued smirking, waiting for further comments.

"Trust me, you and Natsume-sama will never be a couple, he's completely out of your league, you ugly girl." The green haired girl insulted.

"And you're calling me a bitch." Mikan countered with a raised eyebrow.

Dramatically, Permy gasped and placed a hand over her mouth, not believing what she just called her. "How dare you! Do you know who I am? I'm Sumire Shouda, popular, smart and beautiful compared to the likes of you. You'll regret this!"

Permy stalked off, leaving a certain brunette giggling at the perm haired girl.

Suddenly, Hotaru appeared out of nowhere by Mikan's desk, her giggles ceased as her best friend and manager arrived.

Her emotionless, amethyst eyes stared into her chocolate brown ones. "So do you have your things ready? The limo will pick us up 20 minutes after class."

Mikan nodded. "I already have my things. I just need to grab it and go from my room after class.

Hotaru turned away, starting to walk away. Suddenly, she stopped and looked at Mikan once more.

"Don't forget to lock the door." She reminded, speaking in code.

A small smile graced Mikan's features. "I already did." She replied as the teacher walked in.

_**Meanwhile**_

"That bitch is gonna pay for humiliating me like that." Her voice dripped with venom as she voiced each word.

She looked around her, the rest of the members nodding in agreement with her statement.

No one spoke for the next couple moments. They should all be in class but due to certain circumstances, she decided to hold an emergency meeting to relieve her anger.

Suddenly, the sounds of footsteps could be heard running towards the group. All the members twirled around to see who it was.

It was a girl. Her face hidden by the shadows, she spoke. "I have the information. The target will be leaving for a mission 20 minutes after class."

The leader of the pack smiled evilly. "Good, we begin at 6 pm."

And with that, all the mysterious members scattered back to their classrooms.

* * *

After class, a brunette ran as fast as she could out of the classroom. 

As she was running, she fumbled for her keys, finding them in no time. She quickly ran to her room, unlocked the door and grabbed her duffel bag while depositing her school where her duffel bag once was. The smell of soap wafted towards her but she didn't take the time to notice.

As quick as lightning, she flew back down the hallway, and down to the front door of the dormitories. Hotaru was already there waiting for her.

When she arrived next to her best friend, a black limo pulled up, every inch of the vehicle sparkling.

"Come on, lets' go." The impatient, amethyst eyed girl commanded.

"Hai. Hai!" Mikan replied, opening the car door and stepping in.

Hotaru rolled her emotionless eyes and stepped in as well.

The gleaming limo drove off through the gates of the Academy and into the streets of the city.

* * *

The newly fallen night brought deafening silence. A light wind picked up and the light of the moon peeked through the slowly drifting clouds in the night sky. Shadows were cast all around, providing a quiet ominous aura. 

Outside, shadows moved about, causing a minimal amount of noise.

"So are we ready?" A shadow stepped forward and commanded, her green hair reflecting slightly from the light of the moon.

More shadows stepped forward and replied. "Hai Ma'am. Everything is set."

The green haired shadow smirked. "Good let's go. That bitch is going down."

* * *

The limo pulled up smoothly in front of their dormitory. In the chilling night air, two figures stepped out of the vehicle. 

Waving goodnight to the limo, the two made their way into the building, both tired and exhausted for the third night in a row.

"Goodnight." The brunette yawned, departing for her own room. At the moment, all she could think of was a relaxing bath and a warm bed. She was so tired.

The amethyst eyed girl watched Mikan's shadow disappear before she headed to her own room, tired as well but excited from the amount of pictures she took that night.

Silently, the brunette took out her keys lazily and placed in the keyhole, her duffel bag in her other hand.

As she opened the door, she felt a cold draft, almost as if she was outside again. '_How odd. I don't remember opening the windows. Maybe it was the maid.' _

She dropped her bag and yawned once more, closing the door in the process. Engulfed in darkness, she knowingly stepped forward to the light switch. Unfortunately she tripped, pressing the light switch as well.

The lights flickered for a moment before the light permanently stayed.

She gasped. What she saw that moment wasn't pretty. Actually, it was the farthest thing from pretty. Someone had torn up her room and vandalized it to the last corner.

From what she could see, all the lights were broken except for the one she just turned on. The furniture in the living room was no longer neat and spotless but torn to shreds, the stuffing spilling out. Her tv and the game consoles were smashed and cracked, lying defeated on the mud stained carpets. On the walls, Mikan made out a sentence that was repeatedly written all over her living quarters. The sentence said, "Mikan Sakura the bitch".

Now she knew who was behind this, and she was going to pay.

Her kitchen wasn't any better, it was worse. All the utensils laid crooked on the floor, and some were even snapped in half. She saw that the refrigerator door was open, but no light illuminated from inside. It was obviously smashed. She could see that the food contents of the refrigerator spilled all over the floor and counters. The refrigerator door, itself was scratched while the oven and microwave glass were smashed.

Tiptoeing over shards of glass and broken objects on the ground, Mikan made her way carefully down the hall. She stopped in front of a scratched up door that she had only locked this afternoon. She took out her key and gulped.

Placing the key in the keyhole, she turned the key, hearing the familiar lock snap back upon command. She braced herself as she opened the door and stepped in. It was dark inside but the biggest relief for Mikan was that her office was warm. She flicked on the light switch, expecting to see a pile of rubble and smashed up furniture. Instead, she saw that the room was perfectly fine, the same that she had left it when she last used it. She breathed a sigh of relief, glad that this room wasn't destroyed or else her secret would be found out. _'I guess the door really is indestructible and Alice- proof. But why didn't they just climb back out and come in through the office window, maybe they didn't know.' _

Mikan snapped back to reality and stepped out of the room, closing the door to keep the warmth inside the office.

Once again, she carefully made her way to her bedroom and tried turning on the lights.

Only a lamp flickered on weakly. She looked around her room and gasped once more. One would hardly believe that this even used to be a bedroom.

For starters, vandalism were scrawled all over the walls like the rest of the place. The quilts and pillows were thrown on the ground and ripped to shreds. All that remained on the bed was the mattress, and it was sliced in half, a butcher's knife embedded firmly in the middle. The entire chandelier was on the floor, shattered crystals everywhere. The shelves within her room were knocked over, its' contents all over the floor. The windows were smashed and glass could be seen all over the floor as well. Some of the glass stayed intact but it only totaled in two. The wind howled through the window frames, blowing the curtain which were also tattered to shreds. It was the coldest room in the entire place.

The disgusted brunette walked into her bathroom, expecting chaos there as well. Her wish came true. Fortunately for the brunette, the lights worked perfectly fine, illuminating to the last corner of the bathroom and allowing the girl a good view. It was hideous. Spilled make up and lotions spilled all over the bathroom, some were even in the shower and the tub. They vandalized all over the empty spaces of the counter as well as the walls. The once clean towels were ripped in half, each piece dyed with nail polish to form a familiar sentence.

Mikan gasped for the third time in a row as she came to a sudden realization. She ran out of the bathroom gingerly, jumping over a few knocked down shelves. She quickly flung open the closet door and turned on the lights. Only one light bulb worked, but it allowed Mikan to see the destruction clearly. All her clothes, which numbered in hundreds, were ripped to shreds. School uniforms, celebrity clothing, gowns, the dress she wore for the Last Dance, accessories, jewelry, and shoes were torn to bits. Even her undergarments were ripped and were laid lying on the floor of the ruined closet.

Mikan couldn't take anymore. Those girls are going to pay big time.

Mikan quickly pulled out her phone and pressed some numbers. Placing it to her ear, the familiar dialing tone sounded before a voice came on.

"Hello?" A voice asked sleepily.

"Hotaru, someone tore up my room."

* * *

Mikan sat in the familiar, isolated faculty room with a cup of coffee in her hands. She should be asleep in her warm, comfy bed at the moment but instead there was a knife down the middle of the mattress. 

She looked beside her, an obviously furious Hotaru was beside her, and also holding a cup of coffee. But hers was EXTRA-strong and it was her fourth one.

Pacing back and forth around the room was Narumi-sensei, who happened to be in his pajamas, nightcap and slippers. He turned around and faced Mikan, the lack of sleep shining in his eyes.

"Are you sure that Sumire and them destroyed your room?" He asked, interrogatively.

Mikan nodded for the hundredth time that night. "Yes Narumi-sensei, I'm sure. Only she would use such language against me."

"And you are definitely sure, right?" He stated for the billionth time that night.

Finally Hotaru's patience snapped. "That's it. I'll prove to you that it was them."

She slammed her coffee mug down, which was empty by now, and pulled out a laptop from out of nowhere and started clicking away.

"Um . . .What are you doing, Hotaru?" Mikan asked curiously.

"Just shut up and I'll explain." The amethyst eyed girl replied impatiently. "Mikan, do you remember when I found you out, I caught you on video. Well, I sent my fly cam back into your room and even to this day, it has been recording and sending the images to my laptop. According to this, the fly cam is still working since it's still giving off a signal."

"Um . . . Hotaru, why has the fly cam been recording all this time?" The brunette asked suspiciously.

Hotaru stopped what she was doing and looked up. Even though, her face was emotionless, there was definitely an evil glint in her amethyst eyes.

"For blackmailing purposes." She replied before resuming her work.

Narumi-sensei and Mikan sweatdropped.

Finally, after moments of tapping on keys, Hotaru stopped and looked up.

"I'm ready." She said as she placed the laptop on the coffee table so the they could all watch.

Through the screen, it was dark and quiet. Suddenly, the shattering of glass and the faint twitching of a doorknob could be heard. The curtains on the windows flew back as grappling hook and glass came flying through the window.

Moments later, grunts and voices could be heard as the girls entered the room. The lights turned on, allowing the secret fly cam to view her once bedroom.

"So this is what a special star room looks like." One girl said.

"Yep, shame we have to ruin it." Another replied as she pulled out a bat.

"Okay, girls. Let's get started. We're going to pay back that bitch for everything she's done to us." A familiar voice sounded as a green haired girl came through the door of the bedroom.

The girls scattered and started to cause their destruction. At this time, objects fell in front of the camera, blocking it's view. But there was no need to see anymore since they already got the clear faces of all the culprits.

Suddenly, after 2 minutes of random destruction, a voice was heard in the background, seemingly coming form the closet.

"Hey don't half of these clothes look familiar?" A voice yelled.

'_Uh-oh._'Mikan thought.

"Yeah, now that you think about it. Doesn't this stuff look like what the celebrity Mikan Sakura wore." Another voice answered.

Suddenly, a annoying, yet familiar voice cut through. "Ohoho, there is no way that ugly little skank is _the_ Mikan Sakura. They're nothing alike. Plus, this Sakura is pathetic, a total wannabe, who tries to hog Natsume's and Ruka's attentions. She is lower than the ground compared to the _actual_ Mikan Sakura. The celebrity one is just too great, as great as me that is. Now get back to work." She ordered.

Hotaru bent forward and pressed pause. If they were going to watch the whole thing, they would need a lot of popcorn.

"So, there's your proof." She reassured, her voice becoming syrupy with sleep. This is after she had 4 cups of EXTRA-strong coffee.

Narumi-sensei had a serious face on. "Hm. I guess they really are guilty. This is a serious case, I shall have to punish them severely, probably even demote them from their star ranks. Also, I should give a call to your executive so he knows."

"Excuse-me, Narumi-sensei. I have a better idea on how to 'punish' these girls but it will involve Natsume and Ruka." Mikan interrupted.

"Okay, let's hear it." Narumi-sensei said, stifling a yawn.

"Well, I was thinking that we could . . . . ."

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this Mikan?" Narumi-sensei asked seriously. 

Mikan nodded. "Yes Narumi-sensei, I'm sure."

"Okay, we'll proceed with your plan. For tonight, please retire to Hotaru's room for some rest." Narumi-sensei yawned once more before leaving the room.

Mikan gave a Hotaru a reassuring nod. "I'll be fine, Hotaru." She said, upon noticing her worried glance.

"Fine, let's go." She responded.

The two friends left the room, mentally preparing for what would happen tomorrow.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Arigato for reading mes amis. I hoped you enjoyed this one. I know I should have updated sooner but unfortunately, my teachers stuffed all the students with homework. So if by chance you see on the news that students have been murdered by homework from a certain school, that will be me. Anyways, please review and further advise me. **

**By the way, is there some kind of buddylist on this website so I can add all of you? Cause if there is, tell me and I will DEFINITELY add everyone of you. **

**My name is Crystal for anyone who cares. ****I know that I'm not suppose to talk to strangers (no offense) but you all seem like really nice people and that's why I told you. Plus there are like a bizillian peopl out there with my name. **

**WARNING: The next chapter is quite evil and I have it all planned perfectly in my head. If you can guess what it is, I will bake you an imaginary pie- sorry I'm hungry right now. But for now, bye my dear friends. **


	17. Chapter 17

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!! **_

That night, she collapsed in her bed once they got back to her room, leaving one of her robots to guide Mikan around and pull out an extra bed for her. Her amethyst eyes closed immediately as her head hit the pillow, giving a small 'plop'.

The brunette smiled at her sleeping friend. They were both more than exhausted for the night. She followed the robot to the bathroom, which piled a pair of pajamas and a towel in her arms. Mikan muttered a small thank you before the robot left her to pull out an extra bed.

Standing in the steaming hot shower, Mikan relaxed as the water sprayed upon her body. Finally, a little reward for the day's events and it was just starting. Mikan contemplated and predicted the reactions of her fellow students the following day. Based on what she had experienced, she was sure to get a workout tomorrow.

Sighing, she stepped out of the shower and put on the pair of borrowed pajamas, hugging comfortably to her body. She stepped forward to the mirror and wiped some of the steam off, which clung to the mirror in droplets.

Looking at her reflection, she sighed. Her "normal" life would go down the drain tomorrow but it seemed worth it after what they did.

A yawn escaped her lips, snapping her out of her concentration of thoughts. She really should be heading off to bed.

She turned off the lights and stepped out of the steamy warm bathroom, trying to make out the outline of the extra bed without having to wake Hotaru.

She looked around in the dark and spotted it, a comfortable sized bed pulled out next to Hotaru.

Mikan stumbled quietly in the dark before arriving at the bed, falling asleep the second her head touched the pillow as well.

* * *

The ringing wouldn't stop. She didn't want to get up. Wait, that doesn't sound like her alarm clock. 

Suddenly, she jolted from her bed, her chocolate brown eyes surveying for an answer. _'Why am I here? Shouldn't I be in my room?' _

Last night's events quickly came back to her as she stepped out of her borrowed bed. _'Oh yeah, those girls wrecked my room. Heh, today's going to be fun.'_ She thought, smirking evilly.

She snapped out of her thoughts as she noticed Hotaru's figure move from underneath the blankets.

Smiling a little, Mikan could hear her friend muttering through her covers, something about Ruka, money, rich, lack of sleep and payback.

Taking a guess, Mikan giggled before shaking her friend awake. They wouldn't want to be late today.

"Wake up Hotaru." She said, shaking her friend lightly. She could hear her friend mumbling.

She also thought that she heard Hotaru pull something out. Maybe it was just her imagination.

_**baka baka baka**_

Mikan landed on the floor with a thud.

"Ohayo." She replied, sitting up. Her amethyst eyes shining with mischief.

Mikan rubbed her head, completely unaware and unprepared for that attack.

"Hotaru." She whined. "How could you treat me so meanly? I was only trying to wake you up."

Her amethyst eyes bore slightly into her chocolate brown ones. "That's why. I can get up in my own time. Unlike an idiot like you, I won't be late."

"Fine." Mikan pouted, getting up.

She walked into the washroom without saying a further word to her friend.

Inside, she discovered there was a folded uniform on the bathroom counter, a piece of paper on top reading her name in small, cursive letters. Smiling a little, she quickly changed into her uniform, putting on her disguise in the process. It would be the last time she needed this thing.

She opened the door and stepped back into Hotaru's room, realizing that she was also already changed and eating breakfast, a plate filled with pancakes situated in the middle of the table.

"Hurry up and eat. We have to meet up with Narumi-sensei." Hotaru spoke monotonously, still munching on her food.

"Hai." Mikan replied softly and sat down at the table as well, helping herself to some breakfast.

When they were done, they gathered their things and headed to the faculty room, where Narumi-sensei was already.

"Ohayo." He greeted them as the two girls entered the silent office.

"Ohayo" Both girls replied back.

Suddenly, his face became serious, exactly like last night. "I have called your executive and told him about the situation. Of course he was outraged and demanded punishment for the girls. I told him of your plan, but all he did was laugh. He said that you are a complete genius and you've thought it through clearly. He seems to trust your judgments on matters like this. Anyways, about your room. It will be done tonight, with a few changes."

Mikan looked up curiously. "Tonight?"

"Yes, this might seem weird to you since it should usually take about a couple weeks but since this is Alice Academy, it's a lot quicker. We have an Alice student who has the time reversal Alice, which doesn't cost a portion of his life span. Of course, since there were changes, the latest your room will be done will be tonight, so be patient." Narumi-sensei informed.

"Hai." The brunette mumbled, overwhelmed with information.

"And how about Nogi and Hyuuga?" Hotaru interrupted.

Narumi-sensei smiled. "Ah yes, I told them to meet me in here last night. They'll be here in a couple minutes along with Persona-sensei since this involves him too."

"Persona-sensei?" The brunette questioned.

"Ah yes, you're new so you don't know him. He's the teacher in charge of the Dangerous Ability type class and assigns missions." Narumi-sensei informed.

"Missions huh?" She mumbled. Flashbacks of Natsume's wounds popped in her head, bringing forth a slight chill running through her spine.

Suddenly, her lips turned up in a small smile. _'Hmmm, maybe I can use my situation to help him.'_

As if on cue, the door of the faculty room opened to reveal two boys, one raven haired while the other contrasted with blond.

"Why did you call us so early in the morning?" He asked, his crimson colored eyes scanning interrogatively at the three people in the room.

"Ah Natsume, Ruka, just in time. Let's proceed through this door and I will tell you what happened." Narumi-sensei opened the door leading to the secluded where Mikan and Hotaru was the night before.

They all stepped in and sat, listening to the explanation the blond teacher provided.

By the end of the discussion, both boys were shocked. They couldn't believe what they just heard. Anger began to rage as they listened intently. It wasn't the horror of the room that disgusted them, it was the fact that those girls pulled an innocent person into this, all for the sake of guys they'll never have.

Midway of their conversation, Persona popped in, forcing Narumi-sensei to recap once again.

By the end the three males were shocked beyond disbelief. Those girls were even nastier than Persona and his sadistic obsession with missions.

Finally Natsume broke the pause of silence. "So why are we here?"

This time, it was Mikan who explained. "I'm going to pay those girls back but I need you two to make this plan complete."

Both boys eyed her curiously, wondering what the brunette in disguise was up to.

Mikan gave a small smile and explained, astonishing the two boys and the teacher with the evilness and cleverness of her plan.

Ruka gulped. "Are you sure? I thought you were in disguise so you could be a normal person. I mean, Natsume and I will help you but do you really want to do this?"

Mikan directed a warm smile at the azure eyed boy. "I do. I've thought this through and want to go through with this plan. Those girls are going to get a 120 percent of pain from what they did to me. So do you want to help, Natsume?"

Natsume smirked. "Fine. Those girls piss me off anyways. With their shrill voices and rampaging actions, I'll actually be more than glad to follow your plan. I have to admit though, for someone with such childish and innocent underwear, you sure have a twisted mind."

Silence passed through the room at Natsume's remark. Mikan, herself could feel her face burning a little, her mind running wild with murder plans.

"Natsume, you idiot." She muttered under her breath, loud enough for all in the room to hear.

Suddenly, Narumi-sensei coughed loudly, breaking the awkward silence that settled in the room.

Persona was the first to speak. "Miss Sakura, now that I am fully aware of who you are, I must say that Alice Academy is quite lucky to have you as a student. But I want to ask, I understand your plan and how it involves Natsume and Ruka but how does this affect me and why am I here?" His face turned up in a small smile, devious and sly.

Mikan smiled, completely oblivious to this even though it was obvious to everyone else. "Ah, I was just getting to that point."

Mikan cleared her throat and started, her face giving off a serious expression. "You see, Natsume is going to be a part of my plan. In other words, he will be working even through his school hours. Now, I understand that Natsume takes missions daily. Well, the success rate of a mission is usually based on the condition of the person. Since, I want Natsume to be a part of my plan, once I put this plan into action, he and Ruka will have their work cut out for them. He will be in no condition to take a mission in the middle of the night and be expected to be in tip top condition by morning. Even an angel couldn't handle the pressure."

Mikan paused, allowing herself to catch her breath. By now, the sly smile was long gone from Persona's masked face. Instead, a small frown played upon his lips, he already knew where this was heading and it was not good, for him anyways.

"I'm pretty sure you know where I'm going with this Persona-sensei. I want you to stop giving Natsume missions." Mikan stated bluntly.

More silence settled in the room before Persona replied, a frown set upon his lips, deepening with each second. "Miss Sakura, that is impossible. Natsume is my best student when it comes to missions. I cannot simply let him go."

"Then assign my plan as a mission." Mikan replied without hesitation.

"But then who will take the other missions, the more dangerous ones which only Natsume is capable of doing? " Persona argued, his composure slipping.

Mikan's eyes became slits, a hint of hatred flashed across her eyes even though she was wearing contacts. "Then do them yourself. Surely Natsume's skill and Alice cannot surpass yours. Besides, you shouldn't be assigning such missions to students. Assign them to the adults and the professionally trained agents within the Academy. Or better yet, if you are so worried about the skills of the person who is taking the mission, take the missions yourself. I know for fact that the employees of Alice Academy have quite a high paycheck. Yours being one of the highest. Isn't it much more fair in the world if one such as yourself takes a mission and gets paid instead of a student risking their life every night and still have to go to school the next day without a reward?"

Natsume, Ruka and Hotaru were staring in awe, even though none of them showed it. Who knew that such an innocent looking girl could be more devious in getting what she wants than Persona?

Persona, on the other hand, was feeling very uncomfortable at the moment. Never had he been cornered. Even though he had been close to it in the past, he had always found a way around it. But this girl, she had thought of every aspect and detail to her plan, allowing her to get what she wants, even if her objective is completely unrelated to the topic.

Gritting his teeth, he sighed. "Very well, Miss Sakura. I will do things your way. But I must tell you that the headmaster will not be happy about this."

"Then tell him that it was suggested by THE Mikan Sakura. That should get him to understand." The brunette smirked. Even she knew that she had a great deal of influence and power. Though usually she was against using such methods, this was a special case that only she could solve.

"Yes Miss Sakura. Natsume, your next mission will be her plan. For now, I will take my leave." And with one final bow, he disappeared into thin air, not leaving a single trace that he was even there.

Suddenly, Narumi-sensei clapped his hands together. "Okay, now that everything has been settled, we should start heading to class. Natsume, Ruka, and Hotaru, please go on first as I will need to talk with Mikan about something. Also, I don't want her to enter the class until time."

The three students nodded and left the room.

Outside in the hallway, students chattered like usual. A few girls attentions were caught as the two boys passed but the said boys disregarded this as they were not the girls who ruined Mikan's room. It was more than obvious that they were going to bring hell upon their own fan club.

Following the two boys, Hotaru quickly sold a couple pictures to the love struck girls. Might as well make some cash while you're at it.

For some reason, they parted ways moments later, even though they were all headed to the same destination. Hotaru went her way while the two boys walked outside, most likely to the sakura tree since there was still time to spare.

When Hotaru reached the classroom door, she opened it and calmly walked in, even though inside, she wanted to beat the crap out of certain girls.

On her way to her seat, she managed to hear a perm haired girl talking with some of her fan club members. She smirked as she listened.

"Yeah, did you see the dress she wore last night, it was so beautiful. Mikan Sakura looked absolutely gorgeous last night. Though I don't mean to brag, but I think that dress would look even better on me and then, Natsume-sama and Ruka-sama would beg me to be their girlfriend." Sumire flicked her hair, stars visible in her eyes as she daydreamed.

The rest of the gathered girls nodded in agreement, reminding a certain inventor of dogs wagging their tails at their masters.

"Did you guys see the last issue of Fashione, she was on the front cover and inside there were like a dozen pictures of her in this season's latest clothes. They were so pretty and she was a complete doll in all those pictures." One girl said.

Again, the girls nodded in agreement before another girl spoke. "And those new pictures of her from Hot and Pretty's newest line, she looked so awesome in those too."

"I heard she donated 5,000,000 yen to charity to feed families in Africa."

"I can relate to her songs so easily that it's almost like she created those songs for me."

"I heard that she's nominated again for the upcoming award show."

"Again! Wow she's amazing! She's been nominated for the past 3 years now. Wait, isn't that award really hard to win? "

"Yeah it is. There are so many competitors that it gets confusing. Plus, there are so many things you need to accomplish for that award and I heard that the press purposely targets you and tries to tear you down."

"But she has a clean reputation, no matter how hard they try, the press will never get anything on her."

"She's amazing."

"She's my idol."

"She's every girl's dream."

"Girls, girls!" Sumire called the noisy girls to other, bring each girl back from their idolizing fantasies. "Now, I know we all agree that Mikan Sakura is awesome and the best, but please quiet down. Natsume-sama and Ruka-sama should arrive just about now and of course we will have to greet them or else their day would not be complete. Plus, I got a new lip gloss just for them so I hope I can get a kiss from them. "

As if on cue, the doors to the classroom opened, revealing none other than the two boys, a deadly aura hanging around them.

"Ohayo Natsume-kun. Ohayo Ruka-kun. How are you this fine and sunny morning?" Sumire, obviously not sensing the aura, darted towards them while giving each of them a seductive smile. A smile, which she had practiced in front of the mirror the night before.

Instead of reacting the way she predicted, both boys felt chills running through their spines. To them, her smile made her more of a cat than she already was and the lip gloss was smeared on so much, they could see their reflections in it.

Suddenly, the bunny in Ruka's arms started growling. Now usually rabbits don't growl, actually I don't know if that's even possible but upon sensing his master's feelings, the bunny felt enraged too.

Moments after the bunny started growling, a fire started on the green haired girl's head. As expected, she ran around like crazy, trying to put out the fire. One of the fan club members poured a bucket of water on her, drenching her in the process.

But just as the fire went out, another one started, but this one was bigger. Also, the water which drenched her and her clothes started to steam as she ran around the classroom again.

Finally the students settled in their seats as the bell rang. The fire on Sumire's head was put out, leaving her partially bald. Her clothes shrunk due to the steam so now they were two sizes too small. And, as ironic as it seems, her lips, once smothered in lip gloss were now more chapped than ever before.

Hotaru, who filmed the whole thing and was planning to sell it later on, smirked at this morning's chaos. Permy's hell was just beginning.

Students paid attention to the front as the door opened once more, this time revealing their homeroom teacher, Narumi-sensei.

For some reason, he had a more serious expression on his face.

Somewhere in the classroom, a certain curious mind reader decided to read the thoughts of the teacher, only to gasp and cover his mouth at what he had uncovered. His nearby seatmates as well as his pink haired girlfriend turned around, giving him a curious look.

"Good morning class." Narumi-sensei greeted. "I would like to make a couple of announcements. Late last night, one of our students found her room in total chaos. This is suspected to be the cause of bullying. Of course she was devastated. That student was Mikan Sakura. If anyone knows of the culprits who caused such a mess, please raise your hands and step forward."

Everyone looked around the room, each wondering if someone would put up their hands. Alas, no one did, leaving Narumi-sensei with no choice.

The blond man sighed, his violet eyes scanning the room for one last time. "I guess this leaves me no choice. I wanted to give you a chance to confess but since none of you did, I guess we will have to do things the hard way. Of course, we already know who the culprits of this little mayhem are and, we have video evidence. Now normally, they would be given punishment for their wrong doings but Mikan has decided on how to handle the situation. She has decided to give an announcement."

Suddenly, the door creaked open, allowing a young brunette in disguise to walk in, wearing a serious expression. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see some of the girls smirking and chuckling silently. They didn't seem to be worried about their fate.

Standing at the front of the class, Mikan surveyed the room before starting. "As you already know, someone wrecked my room the night before. Of course I know full well who those girls are and I plan to pay them back 120 percent of what they did to me. As for my announcement, I hope none of you will treat me differently afterwards."

Mikan took a big sigh, breathing in and out. "When I first came to this Academy, one of you asked me if the celebrity Mikan Sakura and I are the same. Well, the answer I gave months ago was a lie. Indeed, I am the celebrity Mikan Sakura."

A few of the fan club members burst out laughing, including Sumire.

"There is no way that this freak is the great Mikan Sakura." She yelled while laughing, wiping a tear from her eye.

Mikan directed a glare at her before continuing. "Oh yeah, you want proof. Well here you go."

Mikan loosened her hair ties, allowing her soft and silky brunette hair to cascade along her back. She took off her glasses and placed them in a case. She pulled out a contact lens case and took out her contacts, revealing chocolate brown eyes before facing the class once more, a confident smile gracing her features.

The entire class gasped. There were no words as to describe the shock they all felt at the moment. Who knew that one of Japan's biggest idols had been attending classes with them for the past couple of months?

Silence passed as the entire class stared at the brunette. Finally one student broke the silence.

"This must be a trick! There is no possible way that the nerd is actually an idol, nevertheless Mikan Sakura." A green haired girl stood up suddenly from her chair and shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at the girl standing in the front of the class.

She smirked. "I am standing right in front of you and you don't believe me. Your idol is feeling so hurt right now." She pouted a little, causing every boy to blush, including the two boys at the back of the class.

"W-Well, this is an Alice school, you can do just about anything here. So impersonating someone is actually quite easy." Permy countered, her voice faltering a little.

"True. But then how did Hotaru become my manager? Even you should know that by now. Not just that, but my predictions came true, exactly the same as you heard. Do I need anymore proof?" The brunette smirked, her hazel eyes filled with mischief.

More silence ensued as the green haired girl thought frantically. She was trapped and there was no possible way to get out. Finally she gave in. "Fine, so you are Mikan Sakura. So what? I admit, you're my idol and everything but what kind of punishment is this?"

This time though, Narumi-sensei replied. "Now that Mikan has revealed herself. The Academy has decided that she will be in need of escorts, in other words, bodyguards. This job was left up to me and I have chosen two particular students who are more than fit for these jobs. Of course, I don't need to explain what a bodyguard does but I do have to warn you that since they will be protecting Mikan, they have the authority to do whatever it takes to keep her safe. They are allowed to do everything except killing and permanent damage. Now these two bodyguards that I have chosen will be Natsume and Ruka."

People gasped from all around, mostly consisting of the girls in the Natsume and Ruka fan club. As if they weren't in enough shock already.

But that wasn't the end. "Now, I also have another announcement for you." The teacher continued. "Starting today, Hotaru Imai and Ruka Nogi will be promoted to special stars for taking missions as well has maintaining their grades."

The class gasped once again, officially breaking a record.

A pair of amethyst eyes and a pair of azure eyes grew wide with surprise as well, completely not expecting this turn of events.

Breaking the students out of their silence, Narumi-sensei coughed. "Well, that's all for announcements. Mikan, now that your true self is revealed, please take your seat and we will finally start class."

Mikan headed to her seat, everyone's eyes on her. Most of the boys' hearts' were captured as the Mikan Sakura fan club began to revive. But Mikan sat down at her seat, completely unaware of the attention.

* * *

For some reason, even though the students remained in their class, by lunchtime, the news of a famous celebrity in their school had spread to every student and teacher, as well as the news about the destruction of her room. 

Even at the start of lunch, as the beautiful brunette made her way through the halls with her best friend and manager at her side and two very handsome bodyguards in front of her, people crowded from all around. They wouldn't even be moving if it weren't mainly for the two young boys.

Natsume death glared at every boy while burning some of the girls heads when they got too close. Ruka also glared, though not as harsh as Natsume, and used his Alice to call forth a tiger, which walked alongside Mikan, students too scared to go near her.

Finally, after struggling their way through, they made it to the cafeteria.

But within the cafeteria was something they did not expect to see. Inside, a huge group of students, mainly consisting of boys, were grouped together underneath a huge banner that read, 'MIKAN SAKURA fan club'.

The four sweatdropped at the sight. Yes, this includes the blackmailer.

Mikan looked around the busy cafeteria, hoping to spot the rest of her friends. Finally, after searching long and hard, she found them.

Quickly, she ran towards them, the other three tailing behind.

"Hey guys." She greeted to Anna, Nonoko, Yuu and Koko.

"Oh my God, it's Mikan Sakura." Anna shrieked dramatically.

"Anna, I know I'm your idol and everything but please just treat me the same as when I had my disguise on." Mikan replied, trying to calm the pink haired girl.

"But I'm not worthy to be your friend." The girl muttered quietly.

"Anna what are you talking about? I choose my friends and you are one of the nicest people I know. You are more than worthy to be my friend." The brunette said, giving Anna a reassuring look.

"Okay. Just give me a day to get over the shock." Anna flushed with embarrassment while she slightly giggled.

"Come on now, lets sit down to lunch." Mikan flashed a smile to her friends, one of them quickly looking away before his blush could take effect.

Throughout their lunch, students tried to approach the starlet, wondering if they could get an autograph. Unfortunately, they were all glared off by Natsume. Plus, the tiger was still there, doing a better job than Natsume while munching on some meat.

Suddenly, a boy around their age gathered up his courage and approached them. His golden eyes stared at the brunette with stars in his eyes. His eyes matched his hair perfectly, bringing out his evergreen hair.

While her friends eyed him curiously and a certain crimson eyed bodyguard glared at him, Mikan smiled at him. She was happy that someone approached her or she might have thought Natsume was doing too good of a job. I mean, the reason why she wanted a bodyguard was not just to get revenge on Permy but was also so she wouldn't be run over by fans. She didn't mind if they approached her though.

"Yes, can I help you?" She asked innocently.

The boy turned brighter than a tomato. "Mikan Sakura, I am honored to meet you. I am Hiro Toshi and I am the president of your fan club."

"Why I'm honored but you don't have to go to such trouble for me." She replied, her beauty shining even more.

"No, it's my pleasure. We have also heard of what those girls have done to you and so in your honor, we are building a second club, the 'Natsume and Ruka fan girl hunting club'. We will do whatever it takes to get revenge on them." He put a fist up in the air as fires sparked in his eyes, burning with more anger than Natsume could muster.

"Come to think of it. I haven't seen Permy since class ended." Mikan looked around the cafeteria, trying to spot her among the throng of people.

Koko snickered. "They're hiding." He replied.

"Where?" The fan club president asked enthusiastically.

Koko whispered something into Natsume's ear, who smirked at what he heard.

Suddenly, off in the distance, dozens of screams could be heard as the smell of smoke appeared.

"Hey they're those fan club girls who ruined Mikan Sakura's room, let's get them." Someone yelled.

Suddenly, half the people in the cafeteria, including the fan club president, stormed out, chasing after the girls who ran for their lives.

"Natsume, what did you do? And where were the girls hiding?" Mikan asked curiously.

"They were wearing wigs." Was all he replied as he returned to his lunch.

"Oh." Mikan mouthed before returning to her lunch as well.

After a while, another surprise presented itself as Youichi popped up out of nowhere.

"Onee-chan. I heard what happened last night. I hope you're alright. Finally, I can see my real onee-chan." Youichi gave a tiny smile, which lit up his small face.

Mikan smiled. She just loved the kid to bits. "Hey You-chan. How are you?"

"Neh, onee-chan. I was wondering. Can you do me a favor?" He asked, his teal eyes brimming with innocence.

"Sure." She replied cheerfully. There was no way she could possibly deny him.

"You see. My class all love you and I was wondering if you could visit them? I'd bet they would love that." He asked bluntly.

Mikan flashed another smile. "Of course Youichi. I would love too. Let's go right now. I'm done with my lunch anyways."

Everyone followed the young boy to his classroom, the students within overjoyed at the sight of their idol.

As Mikan smiled and started to sign autographs, in the back of mind, she couldn't help but wonder. _'This has been a great day. I wonder what will happen tomorrow?'_

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Thanx for reading friends. Sorry if this took longer than usual. I probably killed all of you for making you wait so long. The good thing, I'm still alive so far from my homework. **

**Oh yeah, the person who gets the pie is JC-zala.Though I can't tell if you guessed or read my mind. Anyways, here's your pie. (hands you a pie) **

**By the way, if you hadn't noticed, I kind of made Mikan a god in this chapter because of her revenge. I love it when Mikan's the boss, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. **

**Anyways, I really hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and once again, please be patient. Reviews, advise, comments and concerns are much appreciated. Bye for now-Crystal**


	18. Chapter 18

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!!**_

Sunlight seemed to dance through the windows as the curtains swayed back and forth in the early morning breeze, floating in through the slightly open window.

Yes, another day has risen and the sun was shining as brightly as ever on this lovely autumn morning.

In bed laid our favorite brunette. Her hair was scattered messily over the bed as her chocolate brown eyes surveyed her new room. She had just woken up and was lying motionlessly in bed.

It was just last night when she was reintroduced to her room. It was exactly the same as the old one, except for a few "minor" changes. The main difference was her office, which now consisted of a theatre stage with seats and a recording studio. Plus, her closet was bigger than the one from before. There was actually room to spare now that her closet was extended. You can only imagine how big her closet is. Also, there was a door that connected Hotaru's and Mikan's rooms incase of emergency and a state of the art alarm system installed.

She got up and rubbed her eyes, trying to get the sleep out. Somehow, her sleep seemed less peaceful last night compared to the others. Maybe it was because last night, her fan club stood outside her window at 3 in the morning, cheering and singing. Unfortunately, moments after she went to check on the ruckus, she witnessed the start of fires on her fan clubs' heads as well as the repeated sounding of Hotaru's baka gun and the attack of pigeons, owls, and other nocturnal animals.

Slowly yet steadily, the brunette climbed out of her bed and made her way to the washroom, checking the time in the process. It was 10:30 am.

Still yawning a bit, she walked into her washroom and did her morning routine half-asleep.

Moments later, when she was finally awake, she emerged from her bathroom, completely refreshed and ready for a new day.

Walking into her extended closet, she pondered over her clothing options since it wasn't a school day. In the end, she decided to wear a pair of faded gray colored jeans, a printed, wide collared, long sleeve blue top and a white corduroy jacket. The long sleeve shirt hugged her body closely, yet still allowed her room to breathe. She added a pair of white flats as well as a blue headband, holding her hair back.

Satisfied with her clothing choices, she strolled back into her bathroom, applying a thing layer of lip-gloss as well as a bit of eyeliner.

She was just about to reach out for her contacts, hair elastics and glasses when she quickly stopped herself and realized something. _'Oh yeah, I don't need my disguise anymore because I exposed myself to those girls yesterday.' _

Sighing, she picked up her disguise articles and placed them into a drawer, taking note of its hiding place for future reference and quickly left her bedroom.

She made her way to the front door of her living quarters, her mind bent on breakfast in the cafeteria at the moment.

Unfortunately, when she opened her front door, a very unexpected event happened.

A flood of red drowned the young starlet as the door swung open, forcing her back and nearly suffocating her in the process. That red consisted of roses, presents, boxes of chocolates, cards, letters, photos, posters, and even some jewelry boxes.

Gasping for freedom and for air, Mikan swam her way out of the hoard of presents, which by now invaded half her hallway. She landed with a 'thump' on the floor just before the pile.

Shocked, she gazed at the mountain. The amount of red could make anyone go blind. How could so much pile up already? It wasn't even Valentine's day yet.

Well, she certainly didn't expect this turn of events. She was flattered at the time and effort dedicated to her but was quite scared at the same time.

Getting up, she dusted herself and entered the hoard of presents once more. Her goal this time was not to get breakfast but to close her door. After what seemed like hours, she managed to clear some of the presents from the doorway and pushed her front door shut.

She clambered back out from the pile, unharmed but exhausted.

'_Damn. Now how am I going to get out of this room?' _Her eyes surveyed her living quarters, searching for any possible hint of escape. Finally her eyes landed on one.

'_Perfect.'_ She thought as she headed into her bedroom.

She walked straight to her bedroom window, which was still slightly open from last night. She opened the window fully, letting the cold autumn air envelop her. Outside, she could see that a tree stood nearby, its branches thick and firm, reaching just a couple inches from Mikan's window. Looking around, she tried to spot if anyone was outside at the moment.

Fortunately, no one was in sight as the brunette leaped onto a nearby branch, landing safely on the hard wood, which didn't even shake at the weight of the young girl. Carefully, Mikan turned around and shut her window.

She climbed down the rest of the tree stealthily, expertly jumping from branch to branch until she reached the ground. All those years of doing her own stunts in movies had to paid off somehow.

Checking her surroundings and looking upwards, she realized that she had just jumped 5 floors. She smiled at her little achievement as she made her way around the side of the building and entered through the front door of the dormitories.

The doors to the cafeteria swinging open as the brunette entered.

Immediately, all heads turned to her direction as students of all ages began to crowd her. Mikan, overwhelmed by the attention, pushed her way through the crowd while smiling and waving at people at the same time.

Unfortunately, her fans prevented her from passing no matter how Mikan pushed. Oh where were her bodyguards when she needed them?

Suddenly, as if answering her desperate plea, a loud whistle sounded, silencing everyone within the cafeteria.

Everyone turned around to where the whistle came from, realizing that it came a handsome boy with blond hair and azure eyes.

"Okay, everyone, clear out and return to your meals." The bodyguard shouted as he made his way to the victim.

"Aww . . ." Disappointed fans shouted as they began to dispatch.

"Thanks, Ruka-pyon. You saved me just now." Mikan flashed him a smile, which was caught by some fellow onlookers, the hearts in their eyes growing bigger by the second.

Ruka blushed a little. "It was nothing. It's my job anyways so you don't need to thank me. But I do have to say that you have too many fans for your own good and I think last night proves it."

"Yeah." Mikan mumbled while Ruka led her to the table where their friends were.

"Ohayo!" She greeted her friends. Her smile seemed to light up the place even more.

"Ohayo!" They greeted back before returning to their breakfasts.

Still smiling, Mikan sat down and started to eat her breakfast but was interrupted by a certain blackmailer.

"Mikan, your fan boys are annoying." The amethyst eyed girl stated bluntly.

Mikan sweatdropped at the statement. "Sorry about last night."

"It's alright. I've already sent a bill to each boy for making me use my baka gun on them." Hotaru smirked in reply.

Everyone sweatdropped at this statement as Mikan looked around the table, wondering where a certain someone was.

"Neh. Where's Natsume?" She asked curiously.

"He's still in bed. He overused his Alice last night." Ruka replied without looking up from his breakfast.

"Oh." She replied as she started to feel guilty. _'So it was my fault that Natsume overused his Alice and is still in bed. Is it going to be like this from now on?' _

Suddenly, the brunette stood up, a brilliant idea coming to her. This of course shocked everyone as they all stared at her like she was crazy.

"Hotaru, Ruka-pyon, I need you to help me." She quickly ordered before pulling them out of the room with her.

Moments later, the silky haired brunette entered the cafeteria once more, catching everyone's attention as her two friends followed behind her.

A certain blackmailer and manager pulled out a megaphone and started to speak. "Okay everyone. Get an autograph from the Mikan Sakura for only 10 rabbits. Get in line and get an autograph from this famous celebrity for only 10 rabbits. Other souvenirs and pictures are available. Line up single file please."

Ruka pulled out a table and a chair as Mikan sat down and pulled out a pen.

Immediately, people lined up in front of her as she began to sign autographs, each squealing with joy when she finished signing one.

This went on until lunchtime when the crowd of fans were finally content with their merchandise and purchases and left.

"Well, there goes half my day." She said as she stretched her cramped hand. She had signed many autographs before but for some reason this "autograph session" seemed a lot more tiring, maybe it was because she knew half the students that lined up.

"I'll leave you now so I can count the money. And as promised, you each will get 10 percent of what is earned. Well see you." A raven haired girl said before carting off a wheel barrel of rabbits.

"So what are you going to do, Ruka-pyon?" Mikan turned her attention to a tired azure eyed boy. Even though the day was only half over, the bodyguard job was starting to take a little bit of its' toll.

He gave a tired smile before speaking. "I have to go to the barn today since it's my turn to feed the animals and then I think I'm going to take a nap. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, it's alright. Get your rest. Don't worry about protecting me. I think I'm going to visit Natsume since he still hasn't appeared yet." Mikan smiled and ran off, heading for the direction of Natsume's room.

Along the way, she bumped into eager fans that squealed with joy at the sight of her. Fortunately for Mikan, they left her alone after a quick squeal or two because they already had her autograph and more. So, after a quick wave Mikan continued to run until she reached the door of her other bodyguard.

Rapping three times on the wooden door, the starlet waited, her patience growing thinner by the second.

"Damn it. Where is he?" She muttered under her breath before knocking once more.

Finally after 5 minutes, her patience snapped. Where in God's name was that boy?

She gave up and decided to visit the sakura tree. Maybe he was there?

Swiftly, she made her way out of the dormitories, entering a sunny autumn sky. She breathed in deeply. The air was so fresh compared to being in the city. It felt wonderful.

"OH MY GOD!!! IT'S MIKAN SAKURA!!!" A group of girls squealed happily.

Mikan waved back, expecting no trouble. Unfortunately, what she received was far worse than she could ever think of.

As if on cue, tons of fans, mainly consisting of males, surrounded her with hearts in their eyes. Each was jumping madly as they began to crowd her more and more.

'_Er . . . what just happened. I thought they would leave me alone now or at least allow me room to breathe. I thought they would calm down after the autographs and stuff too.'_ She thought as she began to wave the crowd away.

"Please, let me through and I will listen to your requests after." She pleaded loudly. Unfortunately, due to all the squealing and shouting from the fan boys, they didn't hear her and didn't back off.

"Please." She pleaded once again but the crowd of boys didn't budge.

Still struggling, she took a big breath and dived under the sea of boys. Swimming from under the sea of boys, she finally emerged, breathless and exhausted.

'_Darn, this is one heck of a workout. This is worse than having me walk around in the streets of Tokyo without a disguise on.' _She thought as she caught her breath.

"HEY, SHE DISAPPEARED!! WHERE DID SHE GO?" A voice sounded from the middle of the crowd.

'_Oh no!'_ She pleaded once more in her head.

"THERE SHE IS!!" Another replied as all heads turned to face her.

'_Darn it, they caught me.'_ Mikan picked herself up as she began to run for her life once again.

She ran through pathways of the park, hoping to find a certain bodyguard who wasn't in his room. No one was even in sight. She ran towards the sakura tree. By now she was half exhausted and the fans were still tailing her at full speed.

Unfortunately, he wasn't at the sakura tree either. _'Damn! Where is he? Where could he possibly be?' _She thought to herself as she ran back to the dormitories. There was only one place left where she could hide, her room.

She was already exhausted but she still ran, her body fuel with the desire to live. Finally she caught sight of the dormitories. It was quite far from where she was now, but if she ran quick enough, she would definitely make it.

'_Almost there.'_ She thought as she neared her goal.

Her world came crashing down when a bunch of students exited the dormitory, catching sight of the running celebrity.

"OH MY GOODNESS!!! IT'S MIKAN SAKURA!!!" They yelled, joining the charade of people that still followed her.

'_Not again.'_ She thought as she darted from the entrance of the dormitories.

She ran around the side of the building, following the building's shadow. Completely exhausted, she turned another corner, hiding herself from the view of love struck boys and idolizing girls.

As expected and much to her relief, the crowd passed without noticing, stampeding the place searching for an imaginary Mikan Sakura.

Panting, Mikan rested for a moment, allowing herself to catch her breath. Finally, after she regained her composure she peeked around the corner, checking to see if anyone was there.

When no one was in sight, she quietly stepped from her hiding place.

"OH!! THERE SHE IS!!!" Someone yelled from behind her.

'_Darn it. Do they have hidden cameras around the school or something? I should go ask Hotaru after this havoc.'_ The brunette began to mutter incoherently inside her head as she dashed away once again.

She turned the corner but this time heading in a different direction from which she came from.

She could hear her fan club gaining speed at the excitement of catching their idol.

'_When can I have a break? I think I've run enough for a lifetime.'_ Unconsciously, she turned another corner, snapping back to reality when she realized she had come to a dead end.

She looked around frantically, she could hear the sounds of footsteps getting nearer and nearer. _'I need to hide but where can I hide?' _

Suddenly, she felt a tug on her arm. Twirling around, she came face to face with none other than Natsume.

"Natsume." She said with surprise.

"Shut up and follow me." He whispered as he began to drag her through a space in the wall.

Still pulling her, they stumbled through darkness. Thank goodness that neither of them were claustrophobic since the space they were traveling through was dark and cramped.

Finally, after moments of darkness, Mikan spotted light as they hurried towards it.

Emerging from the darkness, Natsume checked their surroundings to see if anyone was there. Some passed by him without spotting Mikan. When it was safe, he signaled for Mikan to come out.

"Thanks Natsume. I don't know what would have happened if you didn't come to save me." She smiled at him, forcing him to look away.

"Whatever. It's just a mission." He replied apathetically.

Mikan felt her heart sink a little bit. Why? He was just a friend, wasn't he?

Silently, the raven haired lad led the way to a certain sakura tree, the same tree they had danced under on the night of the last dance.

Mikan let out a slight gasp upon remembering the scene. Fortunately, the gasp was unheard by Natsume. A tinge of rouge painted her cheeks as the memories came flooding back to her. Why is she so conscious of that event now? She could fell her heart pulsing dramatically as she stared up at his back. What was going on? She never felt this way before. Sure, she did feel different around him compared to other boys but for some reason that feeling seem to resonate ten times today. What's wrong with her?

Unconsciously, she stopped walking when they arrived at the tree.

He sat down and pulled out a manga before noticing that his brunette follower just stood there, lost in her thoughts.

"Oi!" He called, gazing up at her and noticing she was a bit red.

She snapped out of her thoughts, her blush disappearing as well.

"Oh we're here." She finally realized.

"Baka polka-dots." He mumbled to himself as she took a seat in the shade of the tree, which hid her from view.

Time passed as the two stayed in silence. Natsume was reading his manga while Mikan was gazing at the sky, watching the calm clouds drift.

Moments later, he noticed that she was humming. It was a soothing tune, one that he had never heard before. Quietly, he placed manga down and continued to listen, his eyes becoming heavy before they closed, landing him in slumber land.

Mikan, however, didn't notice. She was in the midst of creating a new song, the ideas coming to her from the day's events. Finally, she ended her song and turned to face her bodyguard, realizing that he was asleep.

'_He's pretty cute when he's asleep. You can't find a hint of mischief when he's like this. No wonder he has fan girls. Plus, he's nicer to me now compared to when we first met. Maybe that's why I like Nat- What the heck and am I thinking. I mean, I like Natsume but that's because he's a good friend. Yeah! That's it. I like him as a friend, only as a friend. God, the stress is getting to me, I can't believe I'm getting my feelings mixed up like this.' _

She snapped out of her thoughts as she saw Natsume stir. She had been staring at him this entire time. She giggled to herself as another brilliant idea came to her head.

She continued to watch him for a little bit before cautiously bringing her hand closer to his face.

Her hand landed on his nose as her fingers pinched his nose shut, blocking the air from entering.

Mikan giggled to herself as she noticed him stirring. This was a very effective way to wake someone up.

Finally, his eyes shot up, revealing a pair of crimson pupils glaring at her.

"Whad do yu tink yo're doin?" He asked as best as he could since her fingers were still pinching his nose.

Mikan giggled to herself once more as she let go of his nose, allowing him to get oxygen.

"Sorry, I just wanted to see your reaction." She replied as innocently as she could while staring at him cutely.

The crimson eyed boy continued to glare. If he wasn't as mad as hell at the moment, he would actually look away before a blush took over. But his anger won against his ahem . . . feelings.

"Tch." He replied before picking up his manga.

Unfortunately, he didn't get past the first word before he was interrupted once more, this time by a voice that came running towards them.

"Mikan!! Natsume!!" A pink haired female shouted while running towards them.

"Hi Anna!" Mikan yelled back.

"You're too noisy little girl. You're going to make my ears bleed." Natsume complained while closinghis book.

"Hey Mikan, we were wondering if we could visit your room." Anna asked while panting a little.

"Sure." The brunette replied smiling, catching sight of all their friends standing in the background. "You know what, let's have dinner in my room as well. We can ask for the cafeteria to bring it up to my room."

"Really?" The pink haired girl squealed with excitement.

"Yep." Mikan reassured her before getting up with Natsume.

Together, they all headed back to the dormitories and up to Mikan's room.

* * *

"Wow Mikan. Your closet is huge. It's twice the size of me and Anna's rooms combined." Nonoko squealed while admiring some of the starlet's clothing. 

They had just finished their meals and had began to explore Mikan's room. of course, the first place the girls targeted was her closet while the boys stayed in the living room, playing video games on her plasma tv.

Even Hotaru was amazed by the size of her closet. She had already in her closet but that was the old one. It was her first time seeing the new one.

"Man, this is so cool." Anna squealed while pulling out a dress.

"You can borrow that if you want." Mikan smiled.

"Really?" Anna asked with stars shining in her eyes.

"Yep. Just tell me if you're borrowing something though." Mikan replied.

"Hai." Anna replied dramatically, almost saluting Mikan.

"Hey Mikan, let's go to your office." Hotaru commanded.

"Sure, let's get the boys as well." Mikan responded as they exited her bedroom.

After they got the boys, who were disappointed because they had to turn off the game console, the eight friends made their way back down the hallway, stopping in front of a locked door.

Casually, Mikan took a key out of her pocket and placed it in the keyhole, turning it in the process.

"Here's my office." She introduced as they all stepped in.

They were all awed at the sight, amazed at the professional aura which emitted from the walls of the office.

"Oh by the way Hotaru. I have a new song." Mikan informed her manager.

"Great." Hotaru replied, a tiny smile gracing her features and captured by a certain blond haired boy, who flushed with embarrassment.

"Ooh! Can you perform it?" Anna asked enthusiastically.

"Sure." Mikan mumbled in reply. "But I need a drummer and a bass. I have the instruments but I need someone to play it. Also I have to write down the score and lyrics. So you're going to have to give me a bit of time for the writing part."

"No problem." Anna answered with even more enthusiasm than before.

"But where are we going to find a drummer and a bass in such a rush." Yuu asked with concern.

"I know two." Hotaru smirked while pointing to a set of bodyguards.

"Ruka-pyon and Natsume and play those instruments." Mikan asked, excitement filling her voice.

"Hai. I play the drums and Natsume and play bass. We learned together when we were younger." Ruka replied as Natsume turned his head towards the window.

"In that case . . . "She smiled as she opened a door adjacent of the one they had just entered.

They all stepped in, awe filling them once again. They were inside a theatre. There were curtains and everything although the seats only numbered in half. Instruments were propped up on the stage, framed by heavy red curtains.

"Holy guacamole!!!" The mind-reader yelled.

The friends made their way down to the front seats, situated just before the stage, not noticing that a certain brunette was missing from the scene.

They took a seat and continued to stare in silence, wondering how Mikan and managed to acquire a theatre in her room.

"Okay, I'm back." A voice shouted from the back as a brunette flew towards her friends. In her hands were a couple sheets of paper.

"Here you go." She said as she handed out the sheets to Natsume and Ruka.

"What are those?" Yuu asked curiously.

Ruka peered at his sheets before responding. "They're music sheets."

"How did you write so fast?" A crimson eyed boy looked up at a smiling brunette.

"I already had everything in my head. All I needed to do was write it down. It's pretty easy. Anyone could do it." Mikan said, trying to be modest.

Her friends just sweatdropped.

"Well, these seem easy enough. Let's play it." Ruka said while smiling a little.

Natsume headed onto stage as Mikan handed a remote control to her manager, the controls more than familiar to the raven-haired girl.

"Here Hotaru. Narumi-sensei gave me this and told me that this controls the spotlights, speakers and all that special effects stuff. I was planning to give you this to hold on to anyways so I guess this is the perfect situation." Mikan hopped away from Hotaru and joined the two boys on stage, who were tuning their borrowed instruments.

Moments later, they were finally set, their friends patiently waiting for a song.

The lights dimmed down as the spotlights turned on.

Mikan spoke into the microphone. "Testing. Yay, it works. Anyways, this song is about today and also these walls are soundproof so you guys don't have to worry about a noise complaint." She giggled as she turned around to face her two "band mates" .

"Ready guys." She asked.

They nodded as a reply.

"Okay here we go."

The bass began to play as Mikan's voiced resonated to the corners of the theatre.

_**I need a little time, to see what you're made of  
I know what's on your mind  
You're headin' straight for love **_

Let's not rush, you're moving way too fast  
We can figure it out, we can make this last  
WE don't have to be so serious  
You need to

Slow down  
I'm not goin' anywhere  
Slow down  
If you care, I need a little time for air  
If you just let me breathe  
Maybe I'll stick aroundIf you slow down

I wanna little space, a little less attention  
You see it on my face  
Don't need an explanation

Let's not rush, you're movin' way too fast  
We can figure it out, we can make this last  
We don't have to be so serious  
You need to

Slow down  
I'm not goin' anywhere  
Slow down  
If you care, I need a little time for air  
If you just let me breathe  
Maybe I'll stick around  
If you slow down

Keep callin' - you won't leave me alone  
Proclaiming love like it's a joke  
Leavin' flowers at my door  
Have enough don't need anymore  
Believe in what we have right now  
Have to slow down

I'm not goin' anywhere  
Slow down

Slow down  
I'm not goin' anywhere  
Slow down  
If you care, I need a little time for air  
If you just let me breathe  
Maybe I'll stick around  
Slow down

I'm not going anywhere  
slow down  
if you care I need a little time for air  
If you just let me breathe  
Maybe I'll stick around

You have to slow down - yeah

If you just let me breathe  
Maybe I'll stick around  
Not goin' anywhere  
Slow down  
If you just let me breatheMaybe I'll stick around  
Not goin' anywhere  
Slow down  
If you just let me breathe  
Maybe I'll stick around  
Not goin' anywhere  
If you slow down 

Silence took over as their friends stared up at them. That was amazing.

They began to applaud as the three friends exited the stage.

"That was awesome." Anna and Nonoko yelled at the same time.

"Tell me about it. I can't believe you had all that in your head." Koko commented.

"That was so cool." Yuu squealed.

"This song will hit the top of the charts by my calculations. Good job Mikan." Hotaru said, money signs appearing in her amethyst eyes.

Natsume, Ruka and Mikan sweatdropped.

"Thanks for listening. And thanks to you guys for helping me play the song." The brunette faced the two boys who blushed slightly with embarrassment.

"No problem." Ruka replied, his hand scratching the back of his head.

"Tch." He replied as well before turning and exiting the theatre.

"I think it's about time we went back to our own rooms now." Yuu suggested, his statement supported by a small yawn.

"Yeah." The rest of her friends agreed as they left the theatre.

At the front door, they each waved good bye before heading off to their own rooms. Hotaru had already left long ago, using the door that connected hers and Mikan quarters. The ones last to leave were an azure eyed boy and a raven haired one.

"Goodnight Natsume, Mikan." Ruka waved as he darted back to his own room, leaving the couple behind.

"Well goodnight, Natsume and thanks for today. I think I would have died back there if you hadn't come to my rescue." Mikan giggled at the flashbacks.

A little flustered by the gratitude, he turned his head. "Whatever. See you Polka-dots. Goodnight."

And with that Natsume left for his own room, leaving a shocked Mikan standing there.

Had he just wished her a goodnight? Was that possible for Natsume? Throughout all the months that she had known him, not once had he greeted anyone.

She began to blush at the thought. To hide herself, she stepped back into her room and closed the door, her face still red.

The same feeling that she felt this afternoon was resurfacing again. What was going on between her and Natsume? Why was she only like this around him? Was she sick? No, it can't be. That theory isn't even possible. What was going on?

She shook her head and decided to get ready for bed. A good night's rest would make her feel better. Maybe the feeling would be cured by next morning, she thought as she slipped under the covers.

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**Thanks for reading. Sorry this one took so long. I planned on having this done before Christmas but my parents planned a surpise trip and dragged me and my brother there. We just got back yesterday. Anyways, merry belated Christmas, although I didn't forget, I just wasn't here. Obviously, reviews on thoughts, comments and concerns are more than welcome. I'll try to get the next one out ASAP. **


	19. Chapter 19

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!! **_

A week has passed since the release of Mikan Sakura's new song. As predicted, it hit the top of the charts and a video was produced right after.

Autumn had officially left, replaced by a cold and bitter winter. But the students of Alice Academy didn't have to worry. At the moment, they were all snuggly warm in their winter wear and heated classrooms.

They had just received the results to their exams. As expected, the top of the class was none other than Mikan. Natsume would have tied with her but unfortunately skipped Narumi's English test after reviewing the instructions, thinking that it was too . . . . abnormal for his taste. They were sitting through their classes when the bell finally rung.

Mikan got up and stretched her limbs. Her butt was numb from sitting all day and her fingers cramped from writing as fast as the teacher talked. She looked around, trying to spot her friends.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Natsume's figure leave the room. She smiled as she ran towards the rest of her friends.

* * *

Silence and anger seemed to pulse through his veins as he stood there, his crimson eyes glaring at the man in front of him. 

"Natsume, you're early." A thin, malicious smile appeared on his lips, his mask tilting a bit at the movement of his face.

"Why did you call me Persona?" Natsume asked, his glare increasing ten fold.

"My, my. Don't you have quite a temper. Maybe it's because of that little celebrity who seems to have captured your heart." The masked man countered smoothly, knowing he had hit the mark.

"Tch. What are you talking about?" Natsume turned his head, his glare now directed at the mossy ground.

"Do I need to explain it to you now? You know exactly what I'm talking about Natsume. Does you anger rise every time a fan boy goes near her? Does your heart pound when she smiles at you? Do you look away every time a blush appears on your cheeks? Do you tell yourself you can't have her or else you'll pull her into the darkness as well?" Persona asked quizzically.

Natsume winced at the speech. Persona was right. Every one of those symptoms has appeared every time he's near her. Yet, he knows that he can't get any nearer to her or else something might happen. Correction, something WILL happen.

"You know why I called you Natsume." Persona rose one of his hands to a tree adjacent of him, his ringed fingers barely touching the leaves. "I've been observing you and I've been noticing. You're getting too close. That flash of anger and hatred is gone from your eyes Natsume. Surely you must have noticed that you're changing. You're becoming pathetic."

Natsume winced once again. Once more, his Dangerous Ability type teacher had hit the jackpot.

"You know what you must do Natsume. Keep away from her or else something might happen." Persona commanded quietly while admiring the leaf that dangled above his fingers. It was smooth and green, proving that it was healthy. Suddenly, the leaf turned black and began to shrivel and disappear, becoming particles in the air.

"Tch." Was all Natsume said before walking away, obviously in a grumpy and frustrated mood.

Persona still stood there. A light wind picked up and wafted Persona's long coat gently. He smirked.

* * *

Once he was back in the fresh air and open sun, Natsume immediately headed off to his Sakura tree. He needed to clear his head and come up with a plan to keep all his friends safe, especially her. 

He quickly strode down the pathway, arriving at the sakura tree in no time.

Sighing, he sat down by the trunk of the tree and pulled out his manga. A little light reading should help ease his mind.

Unfortunately, moments after he had started reading, the person whom he is trying to protect and keep away suddenly appeared, an adorable smile stretching from ear to ear.

"NATSUME!! NATSUME!!!" She shouted, landing beside him.

Putting on his coldest facade, he looked up. It was now or never.

"What?" He replied coldly while glaring at her with hated intensity.

Mikan, on the other hand was stunned by how mean Natsume was treating her. For some reason her heart hurt a little. Did she do something wrong?

Putting her best acting forward, she tried to hide her hurt. "Do you want to come to Central Town with Youichi, Ruka and I?"

"No!" He replied icily. For some reason, his heart hurt too, his conscience kicking in the moment that single word left his mouth.

"Please!!" She pouted with puppy eyes.

His glare got worse.

"Damn it. I said no!! I don't want to go to Central Town with _you._" He had emphasized the last part more coldly than he had said the entire statement.

"Neh, Natsume. Did I do something wrong?" She asked, her brunette bangs hiding her eyes from view. Her heart had just felt like it was going to ripped in half at what he just said. _'Had I mistook our friendship? Does he hate me?' _

"As a matter of fact you did do something." He said somewhat sarcastically.

"What did I do?" She looked up, her eyes threatening to spill tears.

"You're annoying ugly girl. Now leave me alone." He replied as truthfully as he could before returning to his manga.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she let out a gasp. Suddenly she stood up, catching the attention of Natsume.

"Fine. I'm sorry to bother you then." She responded as emotionlessly as she could although in reality she just wanted to break down in front of him.

"See you in class." She mumbled before turning on heel and running towards the dormitories.

'_See you Polka dots.'_ He thought as he put down his manga. What had he just done? At the moment, he wanted to catch up to her, catch up from behind and apologize, telling her the truth at the same time. But he knew he couldn't.

'_Damn that Persona.'_ He got up and left for his room as well.

* * *

After telling Ruka and Youichi to go without her, Mikan quickly dashed back to her room. 

Bursting through the front door to her special star room, she crashed onto her bed, immediately bursting into tears.

After moments of what seemed like hours, she rose. She knew her cheeks were tearstained but at the moment, she didn't seem to care.

Why did what Natsume say affect her so much? Why did she feel this way about him? She pounded her head for answers but nothing logical came through.

She walked to her bathroom and turned the knob on her tub, allowing hot water to flow through the pipes. maybe a hot bath will make her feel better.

When she was done, she felt no better. Those thoughts and feelings ran through her head like racecars, coming and going like it was on a racetrack.

The good thing though, she didn't look like a total mess anymore. She looked refreshed but felt no better.

Sighing, she emerged from her bathroom, clad in a long bathroom robe and a towel in her hair.

"Did something happen?" The voice came from a girl sitting on the bed, her amethyst eyes showing a tinge of concern. "Why were you crying?"

Immediately, the brunette ran forward to hug her.

"Hotaru!" She squealed.

_**baka baka baka**_

She landed with a thud on the floor.

"Don't hug me when you're wet." Hotaru stated in her usual monotone.

"Fine." Mikan grunted before getting up and settling herself beside Hotaru on the bed.

"So what happened?" The raven haired girl continued.

"What are you talking about? Nothing happened." Mikan lied. She hated when people worried over her.

"Liar. There are still tearstains on your pillow. Just because you got rid of the tearstains on your face doesn't mean that you weren't crying." Hotaru turned to face Mikan, her amethyst eyes locking onto her chocolate brown ones.

Quickly, Mikan darted her eyes away but didn't say anything.

Hotaru sighed but didn't give up. "It was Natsume, wasn't it?"

Immediately, her eyes flew back up. How did she know? Did someone tell her? Was it that fly cam again?

Her manager smirked. Bulls eye.

"So it was Natsume." She confirmed.

Mikan didn't respond, she just nodded.

"So what happened?" The amethyst eyed girl asked interrogatively.

Mikan took a deep breath and opened her mouth, ready to speak. "Natsume said I was annoying."

Hotaru cracked a smile. This was what she was crying about?

"Don't laugh Hotaru. It wasn't what he said. It was the way he said it." Mikan gave a small glare.

"Start from the beginning." Hotaru requested. There was no way that that was all to it.

So Mikan started. She spilled everything to her best friend. She told him about the dance they shared, about how he rescued her and about the feelings she was having towards him and the confusion she was inflicting upon herself.

"So what's going on with me Hotaru?" She asked in ending.

Hotaru cracked another smile. How could she be so dense. It was so obvious. "Easy. You're in love."

"Excuse-me?" The brunette asked, not believing her ears.

"I said you're in love. It's so obvious. How could you not have figured it out?" Hotaru said sarcastically.

"I can't be in love with him. He's my friend. At least, I think he is . . ." Mikan mumbled before becoming silent again.

"Here, I'll prove it to you. You know that romance movie you starred in a year ago. What did the director tell you when he was explaining your character?" Hotaru smirked confidently.

"He told me about the signs of being in love. He told me that one is in love when they begin to care deeply for someone, feel more self conscious around them, blush more easily in their presence and their hearts will pulse more dramatically." Mikan became silent once more as she began to compare her own feelings with these past thoughts.

Finally she shot up, her mind reaching a conclusion. "OH MY GOD!!! I LOVE NATSUME HYUUGA!!!"

Hotaru plugged her ears with her fingers before talking, her eyes wincing from the noise. "You're lucky these walls are soundproof or else the whole world would have just heard you make a confession to Hyuuga."

Mikan began to turn red. "Sorry Hotaru."

"Whatever. I'll be leaving now since we have school tomorrow. Night." Hotaru waved before departing for her own room.

Mikan gave a small smile at the retreating figure. Her heart seems somewhat lifted now that the mystery was solved.

Swiftly, she got ready for bed and tucked herself under the covers, smiling even in her sleep.

She was overjoyed that her feelings were sorted out now and tomorrow was a new day. _'I wonder what will happen tomorrow?'_

* * *

The next morning was a bright and sunny day, contrasting from the temperature. Mikan had woke up happy that morning, feeling as joyful as when she went to bed last night. 

As she got ready for classes, she pondered about the day's events.

She shrugged it off as she entered the classroom. Only time could tell.

* * *

He entered the classroom with his best friend. This morning he was frustrated because of his lack of sleep. He had spent half the night tossing and turning, his conscience pouring guilty thoughts into his head.

"Ohayo Natsume! Ohayo Ruka-pyon." A cheery voice snapped him out of his thoughts as he glared at her coldly.

Mikan pretended not to notice as the azure eyed boy greeted her back. Together, the trio headed for their seats although Natsume emitted an aura of hatred towards Mikan as he made his way past her.

As they sat down, the bell rang, signaling the start of classes and the entry of their teacher, Narumi-sensei.

"Ohayo class." He smiled cheerfully as he made his way to the front. "Today, I have a special announcement. In one month, we will be holding a Christmas ball. And of course like every other year, there will be a talent show where you can show off what you learned during the year. Anyways, let's start class now."

Class began but no one paid attention. They were all excited for the Christmas ball. The students were so anxious, they were practically jumping out of their seats.

In the back, Mikan looked out the window and smiled. _'A Christmas ball ,eh?'_

* * *

After classes, Natsume immediately exited the classroom, leaving Ruka behind. He was more frustrated than he was this morning. That Polka dots was not making things easy for him, whether she was doing things intentionally or not. 

All through class, the crimson eyed boy kept "accidentally" glancing over at a certain brunette, always catching her at her cutest. Of course, he had quickly averted his eyes but was unfortunately caught once ore twice by the said brunette.

When she did catch him, she would turn around and give him a small smile, lighting up her face and making him turn away before a blush could take effect.

'_Damn.'_ He thought. _'I need to keep her safe. I need to protect her from Persona . . . even if it means that I can never have her.' _

"NATSUME!!!" He heard from behind him, immediately recognizing the voice.

He walked faster, his hands forming fists in his pocket. He needs to find a way to protect her. If she comes any closer, Persona will have his way for sure.

He turned a corner, hoping to loose the starlet.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Permy. She was wearing a wig and her form seemed so shrunken because of all the running she went through the past couple weeks.

Suddenly a brilliant idea came to mind as he made his way towards the green wigged girl, putting it into action.

"Natsu-" The green haired girl mumbled before she was cut off.

Mikan had just turned the corner to see Natsume kissing Sumire.

'_Sorry Mikan.'_

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**Arigato for reading minna san. Sorry if this chapter is shorter than usual but I will be updating sooner. As usual, comments, concerns, thoughts and questions are more than accepted. Arigato!!!**


	20. Chapter 20

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!! **_

It has been two weeks since Mikan witnessed the scene.

Obviously for her, it was shocking. Realizing your feelings the night before and then seeing the boy you love kiss someone else. Plus, that person happens to be the one who messed up your room due to jealousy.

Since then, she had never been the same. Who would be if they were in her situation?

Permy, on the other hand had regained her past confidence. She would strut around the classroom, gloating about hers and Natsume's relationship and how he had kissed her sweetly as a sign of love.

"Oh Natsume. I knew you would fall for me someday." She would squeal endlessly in the presence of others. Eventually, her "audience" would back away from her and leave, annoyed by her voice and the fact that all she could talk about was Natsume's undying love for her.

Of course, she stayed away from Mikan Sakura. After what she did to her room, the celebrity could threaten to rain cats and dogs on her anytime of the year. Instead, she kept her distance and used a polite tone whenever she was within her presence

Mikan, though, did not even notice Permy. Instead she acted her life, trying to hide her sadness and heartbreak. She fooled everyone except two.

Those special individuals happened to be none other than her manager, Hotaru Imai, and little You-chan, who figured out that something was wrong the moment he laid his eyes on her after the incident.

She had told her amethyst eyed best friend about her side of the story, blurting out everything with tears to accompany it. She expected the genius inventor to hit her with the baka gun, ordering to stop crying but instead, when she looked up, she had found her best friend glaring a hole at the wall. The next day, Hotaru had hit Natsume thrice with her baka gun, setting the power to hyper drive. Natsume Hyuuga deserved to die for hurting Mikan like this.

Mikan thought about this as the teacher droned on in class, teaching the students a topic that she had learned about a year back. She didn't need to listen to the lesson and she would still get high mark.

The brunette looked around the classroom. The sounds of pencils on paper drowned her thoughts out as she noticed a green wigged girl from the corner of her eye. She seemed to be fixing her make up as well as using her compact mirror to spy on a certain raven haired boy. Permy turned around and blew a kiss at him, winking at the same time.

Natsume, however, felt an involuntary shudder as he glared icily at the person who winked at him. It was a horrible mistake to kiss her, although it did end up protecting Mikan. Guilt seemed to kill him mentally after that incident. Obviously he didn't want to do such a thing but he had to. He had no choice.

The moment she saw the wink, she felt something light up inside of her. Even though it was a small flame, it affected her immensely. It was anger, hatred and love all rolled into one.

She turned towards the window. For some reason, she started to glare at the passing birds a little bit. She knew she was jealous, all the symptoms were visible. She didn't want Permy winking at Natsume but then again what could she do? It was none of her business, right?

She continued to argue and question her thoughts throughout the entire class, finally snapping back to reality when the bell rang. Forgetting her acting, she shot up from her chair and picked up her books. Walking towards Hotaru, she visibly gave Natsume the cold shoulder.

This was observed by a couple of people, including an azure eyed boy and a certain mind-reader, striking their curiosity.

Ruka watched his best friend get up swiftly.

'_What happened between those two?' _He got up too and followed the raven haired lad out the door.

* * *

"Neh, Natsume. Did something happen between you and Sakura-san?" The blond haired boy asked curiously when they arrived at the foot of the sakura tree.

"Nothing happened." Natsume stated bluntly, settling himself down followed by Ruka.

"You're hiding something Natsume. Fine at least tell me that those rumors about you and Shouda-san aren't true." He stared at his best friend, his bunny sitting comfortably in his arms while munching on a carrot.

"It's all true except for the part where I love that hag, where I kissed her willingly and the part about us going out." Natsume clarified, closing his eyes and resting his head on the back of his hands.

"So you kissed her?!?" Ruka was shocked. He couldn't even imagine Natsume not burning that annoying green haired hair let alone kissing her. Has the world come to and endat the expense of Hotaru's blackmailing or something?!?

"I had no choice." Natsume simply stated, remaining in the same position he was in before.

The azure eyed boy thought for a moment, trying to piece together the puzzle. Suddenly, it struck him like Hotaru's baka gun. How could he not see it? It was so obvious.

"Did Persona threaten you again?" He asked quietly.

Natsume's eyes shot up, his face looking guiltier than a kid and a cookie jar.

"I had to." He replied truthfully.

"You love her, don't you Natsume?" His blond hair swayed as a light breeze picked up.

Natsume darted his eyes to the ground. "Tch. What are you talking about?"

"You know, you're horrible at lying Natsume?" He stood up and dusted his pants, still holding the bunny.

"Whatever." Natsume grunted. He was still sitting, his eyes unable to meet Ruka's.

"Fine. Be that way. But you really should tell Mikan the truth and about how you feel. That cold shoulder she gave you was no joke. I think she's seriously hurt by what you did." The blond haired boy stalked off, leaving the crimson eyed boy by himself.

"Good. Then she won't be hunted down by Persona." He muttered to himself before staring at the distant sky. Clouds were starting to gather, foretelling a storm.

* * *

"Hey Ruka!" A sandy haired boy greeted an azure eyed one at the front of the dormitories.

"So you saw what happened between Natsume and Mikan too, eh? Wait, it's Persona's fault. What the heck?" The mind reader said while reading his mind.

Ruka frowned. "Koko, stop reading my mind. Anyways, I need to go. By the way, why are you here?"

Koko smiled cheekily. "Well, I'm going to talk to Hotaru. You see, I read her mind during class time and found out she was worrying about the situation as well. So I'm going tell her Natsume's point of view on the matter and then maybe we can get them together and then maybe I could get Hotaru to destroy some of those blackmail pictures of me."

"Wait! Does Sakura-san like Natsume back?" Ruka asked curiously, his mind concocting a plan.

"Yeah. I read that from Hotaru's mind as well. It seems that Mikan was heartbroken when she saw Natsume kiss Sumire." Koko began to walk, followed by Ruka.

"Hey can I go with you?" He asked, raising his head.

"Sure. I guess you want to get rid of some of those blackmail pics as well, huh? The boy smiled his suspicious smile.

"You guessed it." The azure eyed boy reassured as they made their way to a certain blackmailer's room.

Ruka knocked. Both he and Koko were more than anxious to reveal to Hotaru about what they've "uncovered" and helping to get the starlet and Natsume together. Actually, they were more anxious about the pictures but either way.

Anyways, the two boys waited before the door finally opened, revealing a female with long brunette hair.

"Hey guys, why are you here?" She asked while smiling.

"Oh! We're here to see Hotaru and tell her something. Actually you should hear this too since it concerns you too." The mind reader said, allowing himself into the inventor's room.

"Oh . . . okay. Follow me." Mikan led the two boys to the back of Hotaru's living quarters, entering a room that seemed to be a office.

"Hey Hotaru. Ruka-pyon and Koko want to speak to us." She continued to smile as she pulled out two chairs for their guests.

Hotaru turned around from her work.

"What do you want?" She asked impatiently.

Koko took a deep breath and started. "Well, today in class, I read your mind-don't kill me- and I found out what happened to Mikan and how she was feeling about Natsume. I also found out that you were worrying about her. Anyways, after class, Ruka and I noticed Mikan give Natsume the cold shoulder and found it kind of suspicious so I read Natsume's mind to see his point of view. It turns out that Natsume didn't want to kiss Sumire. He only did it to protect you, Mikan. He did it to protect you from Persona-sensei. It turns out that earlier before class, he told Natsume not to get any closer to you or else something bad might happen. He threatened Natsume to keep away from you."

Finally he finished but before Mikan could speak and question the mind reader, another started.

It was Ruka. ""Then after class, when I noticed you give Natsume the cold shoulder, I got curious. I didn't know what was going on at the time so I followed Natsume. We ended up going to the sakura tree. There, I asked him if something happened between you two. He said no. I asked him about the rumors too but all he replied was that he had no choice. That was when I realized what was going on. It's all Persona's fault. He's threatening Natsume to keep away from you and that protecting you is just a mission, nothing more. This happened to Natsume before when we first entered the Academy. He started out as a really friendly and shy student but when Persona got his hands on him, he changed. It turns out that Persona was threatening him to keep away from the rest of the students. He had to obey unless he wanted something bad to happen to me. Of course, that changed Natsume into a heated person and then the threat eventually died down. I can't believe that damn Persona started this up again, except this time it's with the girl he loves."

Mikan was shocked and not just by how long that speech was.

"Wait, Natsume loves me." She said surprisingly while half gasping. Her eyes were as wide as saucers.

The other three people smacked their heads. God, this girl was dense.

A few moments of silence passed before Hotaru spoke up. "So it was Persona's fault, eh?"

Mikan's chocolate brown eyes darkened. "Damn Persona. That's it, I'm going to the headmaster and getting him fired."

She got up and started to make her way to the door that is until the two boys stopped her.

"Mikan, calm down. You shouldn't do that. Either way, Hyuuga won't get the picture. If Persona is gone, then Natsume will become lazy and then that will hurt your heart more." The amethyst eyed blackmailer spoke, calling Mikan back to her senses.

Mikan took her seat once again, calming herself down. "Then what should I do? I can't just sit around. That would be crazy."

"No, what would be crazy is when you march into the headmaster's room like the demented girl you are and order the headmaster to get rid of a certain DA teacher, who, technically, has nothing to do with you. Instead, I suggest you take a different approach and let Natsume figure a way out himself. He wouldn't be too happy anyways if you took care of Persona with one order. You know men and their pride." The raven haired girl stated impatiently.

Mikan placed a hand under her chin and concentrated on her thoughts, thinking up a perfect plan. A long pause settled in before Mikan finally broke it.

"Eureka!" She shouted while standing up.

"What did you think of idiot?" Her manager asked, still keeping her cool facade while the other two looked at her with surprise.

"I should give Natsume encouragement." She smiled confidently.

The two boys sweatdropped. That was what she was thinking about the whole time?

"And?" Hotaru asked, persuading Mikan to go on. She sensed there was something to this, something more, something that was part of the bigger picture.

"I should create a new song." The brunette finished happily.

Something that would make her bank account bigger than it already was. Hotaru smirked.

"That's a good idea. I can send the song to a radio station tomorrow and release it as a song that's going to be a part of your upcoming cd." The amethyst eyed girl said while money signs made themselves visible.

"Of course, I want Nogi and Yomi to help.." Hotaru stood up from her seat and headed towards the door. "And, I'll eliminate some of those blackmail pictures as your pay. I'm guessing that's why you told us all this to begin with anyways."

The two boys stared at the genius inventor. Busted.

Together, the four companions made their way to Mikan's recording booth, unprepared for the long night ahead of them.

* * *

The next morning, Mikan entered the classroom as usual, noticing the three companions that were with her yesterday. They seemed so tired compared to her who happened to be giddy on coffee.

They had stayed up half the night producing and creating her new song last night. In the end, it turned out to be a masterpiece, one Mikan was exceptionally proud of.

She sat down and quietly waited for class to start, a smile gracing her feature as she stared out the window.

* * *

Entering the room, he felt grumpier than usual. It was most likely the darn weather.

The sky was cloudy and dark, threatening to pour like hell. For some reason, stormy weathers never suited him and always seemed to affect him so.

"Ohayo my dear, sweet Natsume." A green haired girl came pouncing at him.

Before she could reach him though, he moved out of the way and death glared her. He was so not in the mood.

He continued to walk to his seat, situated next to a smiling brunette. His eyebrows quirked at the sight of her. She looked so sweet and innocent at the moment, a complete opposite of him right now. He felt a blush start.

He sat down, trying to remain as calm, cool and collected as he possibly could, ridding himself of the pesky rouge.

Thank goodness the bell rang just as he sat down.

* * *

The bell rang, finally signaling the students that it was lunchtime. The students got up from their spots and headed for the cafeteria, including a raven haired boy. All was going as planned.

Once he reached the cafeteria, he got his food and sat down next to his best friend, not wanting to be disturbed by anything.

Unfortunately, his wish did not come true because suddenly, a pink haired girl burst through the doors of the cafeteria, a stereo in her hands.

"HEY!!! THERE'S A NEW SONG BY MIKAN SAKURA AND IT'S GOING TO BE RELEASED TODAY." She shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Everyone cheered as a brunette smiled at her loyal fans.

"Hook it up to the school's sound system!" A random student requested as several others agreed.

A raven haired inventor stepped forward and pushed a button, summoning two giant speaker robots.

Obediently, Anna plugged the two robots into her stereo. Everyone grew quiet as they began to listen to the radio.

The first thing they heard was an enthusiastic voice, which they recognized as the dj. "Hey this is DJ Rewind and we're bringing out the new mixes today. None other than Mikan Sakura submitted this next one. Now I don't need to remind our audience that this music genius writes according to what happens in her life, touching everyone with her music. I listened to this song and almost cried. I wonder what is happening in her life at this moment? Anyways, here's Mikan Sakura with 'So Small'.

His voice went off air as music began to resonate from the speakers, providing a depressing yet comforting atmosphere before a voice took over.

_**Yeah, yeah  
**_

_**What you got if you ain't got love  
The kind that you just want to give away  
It's ok to open up  
Go ahead and let the light shine through  
I know it's hard on a rainy day  
You wanna shut the world out and just be left alone  
But don't run out on your faith **_

Cause sometimes that mountain you've been climbing  
Is just a grain of sand  
And what you've been out there searching for forever  
Is in your hands  
And when you figure out love is all that matters after all  
It sure makes everything else seem  
So small

It's so easy to get lost inside  
A problem that seems so big at the time  
It's like a river that's so wide it swallows you whole  
While you're sitting around thinking about what you can't change  
And worrying about all the wrong things  
Time's flying by, moving so fast  
You better make it count cause you can't get it back  
Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing  
Is just a grain of sand  
And what you've been out there searching for forever  
Is in your hands  
Oh, and when you figure out love is all that matters after all  
It sure makes everything else seem  
So small, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing  
Is just a grain of sand  
And what you've out there searching for forever  
Is in your hands  
And then you figure out love is all that matters after all  
It sure makes everything else  
Oh, it sure makes everything else seem  
So small

Yeah, yeah 

The speakers shut off automatically as the entire cafeteria stood silence. Everyone was in awe and the more sensitive people had tears brimming in their eyes. It was such a touching song.

Suddenly, applause filled the room as they all turned to face the singer.

The starlet, herself, was truly proud of the song, hoping that it had reached a certain someone.

She looked around, hoping to spot him. Unfortunately, no matter where she looked, she couldn't find him.

She felt her heart sink as her eyes continued to look around the crowded cafeteria. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted his figure leave through the doors.

She began to follow him through the crowd as she smiled. _'It's a good thing he heard the song. I hope he got the message though.'_

* * *

Yeah, he got the message. Loud and clear too. When he heard the song, he felt like she was singing only to him, like she was standing in front of him at that very moment, trying to pull him out of the darkness. He felt so lightened.

When the song finished, a round of applause broke out. That was when he decided to leave the room, he wanted to be in a quiet place at the moment, a place where he could think by himself.

He headed towards the sakura tree, it was the only place he could think of.

As he slumped down, he heard a low roar from the dark clouds hanging above him. Sighing, he closed his eyes.

"NATSUME!!!" A cheery voice caught his attention as his eyes shot back up.

She ran towards him, a smile stretching from ear to ear. "Did you enjoy the song?"

"Leave me alone." He ordered, trying to keep his facade. At the moment, he wanted to hug her and repeatedly tell her he was sorry.

But before Mikan could start pouting, a masked figure appeared from the shadows.

"Well, well. What do we have here?"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Arigato for reading. I'm typing this as quickly as I can now so you don't need to worry about waiting too long until school starts up again. Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter as always and of course, please review and offer me your comments, concerns, thoughts, questions and advise. Arigato for reading minna-san.**_  
_


	21. Chapter 21

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!!**_

Both students looked up at the masked figure, somewhat shocked at the sight of him.

"Well, hello Miss Sakura." He greeted smoothly while smiling slowly, giving Mikan an image of a snake.

The charcoal haired teacher turned his attention to the boy adjacent of her, his slow smile disappearing.

"Natsume, I thought I warned you." The masked man said, his voice changing from syrupy to annoyed.

The raven haired boy glared daggers at his teacher. "Don't you dare do anything, Persona."

Persona smirked but before he could speak, another interrupted him.

"What won't you do?" Mikan asked as innocently as she could even though she already knew everything.

"Oh nothing that needs your attention Miss Sakura." The honey returned at full force to his voice.

"Really now?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously at the teacher as her voice began to lose her innocence.

"Of course. There would be no reason for me to lie to you anyways." The teacher reassured her.

Mikan looked away, staring up at the clouds.

"You know, you shouldn't really threaten students like this. I mean telling him to keep away from me, how low can you go?" She asked sarcastically.

Persona paled a bit beneath his mask and stared at Natsume, thinking he was the cause behind her correct and just accusation.

"It had nothing to do with Natsume. I just have very reliable sources." Mikan glanced at the teacher. She knew what he was thinking.

The man smirked before taking a bow. "You are indeed a smart one Miss Sakura."

"Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment." The replied somewhat sweetly.

Silence passed between the trio before someone actually broke it.

"Leave her, Persona. You can't hurt her, we're in public." Natsume growled at the masked teacher. He had been listening to the conversation the whole time, every passing second made his blood boil even more. At the moment, the only thing in his mind was how to protect Mikan Sakura.

Unexpectedly, the teacher chuckled before speaking. "Oh, my dear boy. Can't you see that no one is around."

Natsume's eyes widened as he suddenly stood up and ran, dragging the brunette with him.

"Natsume!" She yelled, trying to slow down. She felt very awkward at the moment from being dragged like this.

"We have to get away from him. Come on." Natsume shouted behind. They had to get away from that man.

Unconsciously, he dragged her into the Northern Forest, panting as they continued to run.

Finally Mikan had enough. She broke free from Natsume's grip, which had threatened to rip her arm off.

They stopped in their tracks.

"Natsume, what is wrong with you?" She half shouted, her voice filled with anger and concern.

He turned around, shocked by her actions. "Nothing's wrong but we have to get away from him."

"Natsume, you're acting like a scared child. Calm down." Mikan walked towards him slowly.

"You don't get it, do you?!? He has the Alice of Death, he could kill you with the flick of his hand." Natsume's eyes were wide with panic, anger and hatred. It was like he was describing a mad man.

But to Mikan, Natsume was the mad man. "And? I have the Alice of Nullification. I can stop his Alice. Plus, why would you want to protect me anyways, you've been avoiding me all week."

This statement left Natsume speechless. If he admitted his feelings to her, Persona will interfere and harm her. But if he didn't say anything, Persona would still harm her and gets what he wants.

His crimson eyes darted to the floor, becoming slits. He couldn't say anything in his defense.

Mikan continued to stand there. She could hear the roar of the clouds above her as she continued to stare at him.

"Well!" She retorted, waiting for a reply.

She knew the truth. She knew that Natsume loved her and was trying to protect her. She had heard everything from Koko and Ruka, but she wanted to hear it from the person that counted most. She wanted to hear it come out of his mouth, in his voice, in his own words. She continued to wait.

Meanwhile, Natsume's mind was in great turmoil. A part of him wanted to tell her everything. Another part knew he had to protect her and if he told her such things, she would surely be in danger because of him. What should he do?

Mikan was getting impatient as a frown formed on her face.

"Fine, if you can't answer why then I guess I should be leaving, Mr. Hyuuga" She acted as nonchalantly as she could, turning on her heel and ready to leave. She knew she would need to force his hand if she was going to get what she wanted.

"Wait! I'm doing this because I lo- "He stopped himself as he realized what he was about to say. He seemed to have lost control when he heard his name. He never liked it when friends called him that because it made their relationship sound too distant.

Mikan turned around, her eyes wide with surprise and concern.

"Because you what Natsume?" She said, beckoning him to go on.

"Because I . . . love . . . you." He mumbled, making it inaudible for her to hear.

"What did you say?" She asked as she fully turned around facing the raven haired boy.

"Because I love you." He repeated louder.

She gasped as she heard the words tumbling out of his mouth. She knew he liked her but it was a completely different story when he confessed. She felt her mind go into slight shock as her eyes began to brim with tears.

"But because of these feelings, you are in danger. Persona, as well as other people will hunt you down if they find out you're the one I care for. You'll probably die because of me. That's why you need to keep away from me." His hand tightened into a fist as he said the last words.

The brunette felt her world crashing down at those words. She was touched that Natsume wanted to protect her so much but was deeply wounded because he thought that the only way of accomplishing such a task would be to keep her away.

"You idiot." She half shouted as a tear rolled down her eyes. "I thought you got the message of the song. Weren't you listening at all?"

Natsume glanced at her. He hated being the one to make people cry like this.

"Yeah. I got the message loud and clear. Your song encouraged me to move on and face the problem head on." He darted his eyes to the ground once more, he couldn't bare to look at her shrunken form.

"You're really an idiot Natsume. That wasn't all to it. The second part of my message was about how you should open up and let others help you in your problems. You shouldn't take all the responsibilities on your own and then wallow in your pain. That's what friends are for. Do we look like we're completely helpless? Do _I_ look like I'm completely helpless? You should know by now that you can trust me, or Ruka-pyon, even Hotaru no matter how much she drives you crazy. We can move forward from the problem together." Mikan smiled at the last part, her tears drying as she moved towards Natsume and hugged him.

They stayed like that for a couple more moments before a figure broke them apart.

"Aw, isn't that sweet. " He said sarcastically as he appeared from the shadows.

They broke the embrace as Natsume stepped forward in front of Mikan.

"Persona." He growled.

"Tsk, tsk. I thought I taught you better than this, Natsume." The masked man tutted, crossing his arms in front of him.

"Stay away from her, you hear me Persona." He demanded as his crimson eyes bore into his teacher.

But all Persona did was smirk, provoking the lad even more.

Losing control of his anger, the raven haired boy ran forward, trying to attack Persona with a flaming fist.

Unfortunately, Persona caught him by the arm as Natsume attempted a kick. He was blocked as well.

"Natsume, you seem to be slacking from your training." The robed teacher stated as he threw the boy back.

Natsume flipped and landed on his feet instead of landing on his head.

"Tch." Was all he said as he attempted another attack, this time swiftly catching Persona from behind.

Persona smirked once again as he caught Natsume's fist and quickly flipped him, forcing him to land on the cold, hard floor with a 'thud'.

"Natsume!" She gasped as he landed hard on the ground.

The dangerous ability type teacher placed a heel on top of Natsume's chest, holding him down as he began to taunt his student. "Natsume, you've gotten pathetic. Maybe I should punish you for that as well. Maybe I can use that celebrity over there."

Suddenly, Mikan ran forward at full speed, attempting to knock Persona off of the rave haired boy, who was struggling more than expected beneath his heal.

She brought out a fist, making contact with the teacher's cheek.

The robed teacher flew back, completely off guard from that attack. He had never even suspected that Mikan Sakura could hit.

Mikan picked Natsume up, supporting him in a sitting position. "Natsume."

For some reason, something seemed to be wrong with him. Mikan observed this as she wondered if Persona and injured him seriously. The boy was still conscious, but he was breathing harder than he should.

Persona got up, wiping the dust off his robe as he smirked at the brunette. "I used my Alice on him. That should set him on the right path the next time he does something like this."

Mikan's eyes widened like saucers as she stared from the charcoal haired teacher to the boy in her arms. As if on instinct, she activated her Alice and directed it at Natsume, hoping that the Death Alice didn't affect him greatly.

When she finally noticed his breathing easing a bit, she let go of the conscious boy and stood up.

"Mikan . . .you should run." He breathed out as he tried to stand up.

Mikan gasped at the sound of her name but quickly replied. "I love you Natsume and I'm not leaving without you."

As soon as he heard the statement, Mikan got into her stance and moved forward, attacking the teacher at full speed.

She activated her Alice, purposely aiming it at the teacher to prevent any more internal damage. Swiftly, she tried to land a kick from behind, running at full speed.

Even the teacher had trouble keeping up with her but luckily he caught her foot just before it could hit its mark. He swung her foot and threw her towards a section of trees.

Expertly, she bounced off the trees from her foot and spun back, landing on her feet just before her opponent.

"Impressive." Persona complimented, admiring Mikan's skills.

This time, it was Persona's turn to attack as he charged forward with a straightforward attack.

Mikan caught his fist midair as she swung her leg low, planning to knock him off his balance, thus opening a weak spot for her.

As expected, he fell for her plan. He completely underestimated his opponent since he was knocked to the ground with a kick to the side and a punch to the jaw. In the end, he landed hard on the ground, slightly panting from exhaustion and from the use of his Alice. He used it every time he attacked her but it didn't work for some reason. Was she inhuman or something?

"You should know that I activated my Alice, which happens to be Nullification. Right now, you're just wasting your energy by trying to use it." Mikan's eyes glinted mischief as she got into her position once again. At the moment, she wanted to rain hell on the teacher.

The masked man struggled to get up. That girl was a lot stronger than she looked, in brains and in strength. Panting, he started to devise a plan, coming up with one that surely wouldn't fail. He smirked at the deviousness of his plan.

He charged forward once again, seemingly aiming at his opponent with a fist. Suddenly, he disappeared and appeared in front of Natsume, holding him in a headlock as the brunette turned around.

"Give up now, _Miss_ Mikan Sakura. You don't want to see your precious lover boy die right before your eyes, do you?" He said slyly as the raven haired lad struggled weakly in his arms. He was still suffering the aftereffects from his Alice.

Mikan felt her jaw clench and her fist tighten as her bangs hid her eyes. How low could this teacher possibly go? Was he willing to do _every thing_ he could think of just to get what he wanted? She couldn't believe that he actually injured a student then used him as hostage. This guy was completely insane!

Mikan felt hatred and anger flaring up inside her. Now, it was her turn to protect Natsume instead of the other way around. Images of Natsume protecting her appeared in her head. He had tried to hard to protect her from any sort of danger, even worrying about others when he, himself, was injured.

Suddenly, she felt something in side her. It felt like her nullification Alice but was more powerful. It was actually more of a power but she could feel it growing. Suddenly, she saw an image of Natsume using his Fire Alice in her head. She smirked as she pieced things together.

He stood there, still holding the weak boy. They were both panting already so they wouldn't last much longer.

He flinched and narrowed his eyes as he saw her smirk. What was she up to?

She got into her stance, suddenly dashing towards Natsume and his captive.

Swiftly, she ran at full speed and appeared from behind the teacher, knocking Natsume out of his hands. She caught him just before he hit the ground.

After she carried him to a safe distance away from them, she stood up and went back to Persona, who was holding his arm due to a fracture when Mikan had knocked Natsume away from him.

Grunting, he heaved a sigh. He knew he would need to finish it off with one attack or else he might not last longer. The effects of using his Alice too much was starting to take its toll. He could practically feel his body slowing up during the match and it was definitely not due to age.

"You've fought well, Mikan Sakura. But I'm afraid it ends here." He stated confidently, ignoring the throbbing pain in his arm.

The brunette smirked as well. Just what she was thinking. "You're right. It does ends here. Sayonara sensei." She said the end as sweetly as she possibly could, provoking the masked man to no end.

Suddenly, rain started to fall as both of them began their attacks.

Persona ran forward and kicked low, forcing Mikan to jump up high in the air, allowing her to apply pressure on her foot as she tried to land it on his stomach. The robed teacher caught her foot with such great force that he was pushed back. Grinding his heels into the dirt, he managed to stop both the weight of himself and the weight of the young girl. Quickly, she pulled her foot away and landed with both feet and one hand on the ground. She pushed herself off the ground as she attempted to kick him while jumping in midair.

Unfortunately, this was a very vulnerable position for which Persona used to his advantage. Swiftly, he reached out his hand and grabbed her neck, choking the life out of her as he threw her hard to the ground.

She got up, though she was panting and exhausted. She rubbed the spots where he had grabbed her. They were definitely going to leave a bruise. She tried to catch her breath as quickly as she could. Unfortunately, before she could even catch her second breath, Persona came at her once more. This blow would decide the winner.

Mikan shut her eyes. For some reason she started to imagine fire heading directly for her opponent. She heard a scream before she fell to the ground unconscious.

* * *

The smell of flowers was the first thing that reached her senses as she began to slowly open her eyes.

'_What happened?'_ She thought as she struggled to sit up.

Unable to, she looked around and realized she was in a hospital room. It wasn't very hard to recognize since everything was white and the smell of bleach and soap lingered in the air.

Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door before it opened to reveal a pink haired girl and her friends.

"Mikan, you're awake!" They rejoiced happily.

"What happened?" She asked. Her head was still throbbing a bit so she couldn't think straight.

"Oh we were so worried. Hotaru tracked you with one of her inventions and when we found you, you were unconscious as well as Persona sensei. Natsume was also there and was crawling towards you after you lost consciousness. The place where you were was worse than a battlefield." A midnight blue haired girl explained as they began to pull out chairs.

Suddenly, everything came back to her as she jolted from her bed, causing her body to hurt immensely.

"Where's Natsume?" She asked, her voice filled with concern.

This time, it was Ruka who spoke. "He's resting. It turns out that some of the cells in Natsume's heart and lungs were destroyed, causing him to have difficulty breathing. The doctor used his Alice on him so that all he needs now is rest."

"And how about Persona?" She mumbled.

A raven haired girl took over as she began her explanation. "He's being treated for first and second-degree burns as well as a concussion and a fractured arm as well as many cuts and bruises. He'll most likely get well in about two months but I've already requested to the headmaster that he transfer him to a different Academy. I put it as a special request by you."

"Thanks Hotaru." Mikan smiled despite her condition.

_Knock. Knock._

The door opened to reveal a man clad in uniform and a white lab coat. "Ah, Miss Sakura, I'm glad that you're awake. I need to speak to you as well as Miss Imai since she is your manager."

The doctor stepped in as the rest of her friends stepped out.

"Is something wrong, doctor?" Hotaru asked, concern filling her voice.

"Well, when we were doing the test and analysis of Mikan Sakura. We came upon something that we thought we should discuss with you." The doctor stopped as he peered at the two teenage girls.

"What is it?" The brunette asked, worry filling her voice.

"It turns out that Mikan Sakura has _two_ Alices."

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**Arigato for reading minn-san. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. And of course HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! Although, in a fan fiction world, we can create our own new years since time only moves when the author updates. Anyways, enough babbling from me. Concerns, thought, comments, questions and advise is more than welcome. Arigato for a fantastic year. **


	22. Chapter 22

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!!**_

The room was quiet as the information slowly sank in. The doctor waited patiently for either one of the two girls to say something, he knew it would take a little while.

"Can you repeat that?" The hospitalized brunette asked, not believing what she just heard.

"Idiot, he said you had two Alices." Repeated the expressionless amethyst eyed girl.

"Miss Sakura, from what I was told by Mr. Hyuuga, it seemed that you used fire to end the battle between you and Persona-sensei. Tell me, did you feel a new power being born during your fight?" The doctor asked professionally.

The brunette thought for a second, trying to remember how she felt during the battle. She remembered anger that's for sure, as well as concern for Natsume and the desire to protect him. And then when Persona threatened her with Natsume, she concentrated her feelings and felt something emerge, something powerful. Was that her Alice?

"I think I do. I felt like I needed to protect Natsume. That was when this whole other feeling enveloped me. I felt like I could do anything. Then, when Persona came at me for a final blow, I concentrated on that feeling and automatically imagine fire spiraling towards Persona. I blacked out after that." Mikan explained, trying to dig deeper into her memories.

The doctor smiled knowingly. "That was your Alice. According to my analysis, Miss Sakura, it turns out that your second Alice allows you to copy another's Alice, steal it and erase it. It's a very special ability, Miss Mikan, one you should be proud of."

The brunette looked at him with curiosity, voicing out her questions. "I thought I had _two _Alices, not four."

The doctor chuckled lightly. "No, Miss Sakura. There are three parts to your second Alice. Your second Alice is Stealing, Erasing and Copying. "

"Oh." Mikan replied, finally getting the picture.

"Doctor, is there a second part to this that you haven't gotten to yet, like for example, Mikan's training?" The raven haired blackmailer asked interrogatively.

The doctor's face turned serious at the mention of training. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "Actually yes. There will be training but considering Miss Sakura's schedule, the training course will have to be changed for her needs. Also, the teacher who was supposed to train you is none other than Persona-sensei but since you kind of beat the crap out of him, he's now out of commission and is going to transfer after he is released. So, the Academy has decided to put one other person in charge of your training. He's the only option left though I do have to tell you that he is a tough trainer despite his looks. Your trainer is going to be Narumi-sensei and your training will start in January."

Both the girls were silent they let the doctor's words sink in once more. They were also trying to imagine Narumi-sensei as a tough Dangerous Ability type trainer, it wasn't very easy as Mikan broke down giggling a little. Hotaru just smirked, a hint of amusement glinting in her eyes.

The doctor got up and headed for the door, not bothering to ask why Mikan was laughing. "Well, I'll be going now. Miss Mikan you can be released anytime now since you're well enough and conscious. Further information will arrive for you in about a week or so and if you have any questions, please come see me or talk to Narumi-sensei. Well, good day to you."

Bowing slightly, the doctor opened the door and left, his long white coat trailing behind him.

Silence passed between the two friends as the door clicked shut.

"Mikan, we should go. You have a lot of work to catch up on. You were actually asleep for two days." An amethyst eyed inventor said, interrupting the silence.

"WHAT!!!" The brunette screamed at the top of her lungs. She couldn't believe she missed two days.

Quickly, she jumped out of the hospital bed and rushed to the washroom, grabbing a paper bag that her manager handed to her.

When she finally opened the bathroom door, she had changed from a white and shapeless hospital gown to a creamy white turtle neck with a light brown, fleece lined jacket on top. She wore a denim skirt that reached just to her knee with white stockings underneath. On her feet, she wore a pair of brown heeled boots, matching her jacket. Her hair was pulled into a half pony and held back with a butterfly clip. She wore a butterfly necklace to match. The outfit was simple yet fashionable and for some reason, it made her feel like a kid again.

Together, the two friends stepped out of the hospital room and made their way down the hall.

"Neh Hotaru, where's Natsume's room? I want to visit him." Mikan looked around, trying to peer at the nametags that hung on the walls.

"His room is around the corner. The last time I checked, he was still awake. If you're going to visit him, you better hurry up." Hotaru replied as Mikan rushed ahead of her.

Running as fast as she could, she reached Natsume's room in no time. She knocked on his door, hoping he was awake.

Upon hearing no reply, she turned the knob and entered, greeted by a pair of crimson eyes turned her way. Natsume was wide awake and was sitting in bed.

"Hey Natsume." She said as she approached his bed, seating herself next to him.

"How are you feeling?" She asked while smiling down at him.

"I'm in a hospital. Obviously, I'm not doing as well as I should be." He answered sarcastically.

The brunette rolled her eyes, though she was happy that her Natsume was back. "I guess you're doing just fine. Oh just to let you, Persona's not getting out of the hospital for two months and when he does, he's getting transferred."

His crimson eyes blinked. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You know, you could have let me handled it. I would have done just fine without your interference."

The brunette was shocked. She practically saved him and confessed and now he tells her he can handle it, what in God's name was wrong with this boy?

"You don't get it do you? Don't you remember the fight? The words that I've said? I love you! That's why I did it! You're not in this alone, Natsume. Whenever you're in trouble or you need help you can come to me. We can solve the problem together." Mikan argued, her voice rising as she stood up from her chair.

In bed, Natsume was still shocked at her confession. Unable to control himself, he pulled her down towards him, connecting them at the mouths.

He savored the sweet taste of her mouth as he breathed her in. She smelled and tasted like strawberries. He deepened the kiss, bringing her out of her shock as she gasped, giving him an opportunity to slide his tongue in.

Mikan, on the other hand, was shocked by his sudden actions, freezing up the moment their mouths collided. He kissed her gently yet possessively, urging her to respond. She snapped out of her shock as she felt him deepen the kiss, causing her to gasp, giving him an opportunity. She melted against his kiss as she responded back, kissing just as sweetly as he kissed her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as his arms snaked around her waist. It was a good two minutes before they finally let up for air.

Panting, she gave him a small smile, her face tinged red.

"I love you too." He whispered in her ear, half panting.

She turned an even brighter tomato red as she felt his hot breath touch her skin. She looked away from the raven haired boy, unable to face him as he smirked at her shyness.

Moments of silence passed as the two stared at each other, trying to straighten their thoughts. They both knew that they were officially a couple even though it was unspoken.

Finally, Mikan broke the silence. "Well, I should be going now. I don't want to keep Hotaru waiting since we have a lot of work to do. see you later Nasume."

She leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek, smiling as she turned towards the door.

Natsume leaned back on his pillow, smirking at the young lass. "See you, teddy bear pattern."

"PERVERT!!" She screamed as she exited the room.

Mikan stomped her way down to the reception area of the hospital. She couldn't believe that guy. He kisses her and then peeks at her underwear. How dare he!!!

She arrived at the front of the hospital moments later, spotting her manager the moment she entered the room.

"So, I guess you two are together now, huh?" The raven haired girl stated indifferently, stating the truth.

"How did you know?" She asked, sweat dropping.

The blackmailer smirked. "Easy. The fact that it's been more than 5 minutes, you're blushing and also, your hair is messed up and I doubt it was from a mysterious draft that blew through the hospital hallways."

"Yeah . . . let's go. We have a lot of work to do." The brunette dashed out the front door, avoiding the topic as her face continued to turn red.

Hotaru followed Mikan's lead as they climbed into the taxi that awaited them.

* * *

The week flew by quickly as the students prepared for the Christmas ball. They were all excited, girls picking out gowns while the boys panicked over presents.

Meanwhile, a certain celebrity had her hands full. Since she was in the hospital for two days, there was a lot that she had missed. That past week until the Christmas, she went to guest spots, charity events, autograph signings, special photo shoots, singing a new song made just for Christmas and even participated as a hostess on some Christmas function. She barely had enough time to eat before rushing off to her next job. But in the end, she pulled it off, doing everything with the best effort she could and making everyone smile in the process.

It was finally the day of the Christmas ball, and all were excited as the girls began to prepare for the evening.

Like the Last Dance, the outfits were assigned by the Academy and were based on one theme. For their Christmas ball, the theme was none other than Christmas.

"Mikan, are you done yet?" A pink haired girl asked while knocking on the bathroom door.

"Yeah, we want to see what you look like." Continued a midnight blue haired one.

"You better come out right now or you're going to be late and then you're going to make Hyuuga all upset and then he'll burn the place down." An amethyst eyed girl threatened through the door while the other two nodded in agreement.

By now, everyone in the Academy knew those two were an item. They figured it out when they appeared in class one day with Natsume's arm around Mikan's waist. Also, Koko kind of blurted it out to the whole class. Of course, this infuriated all of Mikan's fan boys as they all glared at him whenever he passed. Unfortunately for them, Natsume's glare was worse, much worse.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" She yelled through the door before she opened it.

The three girls gazed at her as she stepped out.

"You look so cool, Mikan!" Anna and Nonoko squealed while admiring the brunette from all angles.

"Really? Thanks. You three look great too." Mikan smiled as she gazed at her friends.

Suddenly, Hotaru got up from her seat on the bed and walked to the front door. "Come on, we're going to be late."

"Hai!!!" The rest of the girls screamed in unison.

* * *

"Huh, where are those girls? The dance is about to start and we still have to walk to the stadium." A blond haired boy sighed as he leaned against the wall.

"You know girls. They take forever just to get ready." The mind reader stated while waving a hand in front of him, trying to distract himself.

"I guess you're right. But they're sure taking an awfully long time." Replied the boy with glasses as he stared at his companions.

The other two nodded in agreement as they continued to wait. Silence passed before someone broke it."

"That's it!!! I can't take this nose anymore." A raven haired boy grunted, ripping the fake red nose off.

"Natsume, keep it on. It looks good on you." His best friend stated, chuckling a little.

"Oh shut up. Why am I the only one dressed like this? Damn the Academy for planning these outfits. Why can't we just go in t-shirts and jeans or something." Natsume glared at his friends while they all burst out laughing.

In the midst of laughing, Koko looked up. "Well, at least Mikan won't be disappointed. Actually I don't think Hotaru would be disappointed either. I'm pretty sure she'll have her camera."

Natsume's crimson eyes narrowed dangerously on the mind reader, his mind concocting his death.

But before he could put his plan into action, the four boys were interrupted by the sounds of footsteps.

"Hey Natsume!!!" Shouted the brunette as she ran into his arms.

She looked at him and spotted the nose in his hand, she smiled mischievously as she took it from his hand.

"So this is the surprise they told me about, Rudolph?" She said as she placed the fake red nose on him, stepping back so the rest of their friends could see. They immediately burst out laughing as he began to burn with embarrassment and as Hotaru began to take pictures.

Natsume was dressed in a white tux and brown tie, his feet occupying brown leather dress shoes. On his head was a pair of reindeer horns as well as a big, red nose. His outfit made him look like Rudolph, except for the fact that Rudolph did not death glare his friends as they continued laughing.

Finally after a couple minutes of laughing, they settled down, each wiping a tear from their eye.

"By the way, you girls look awesome." Yuu was the first one to comment.

The rest of the guys inspected the girls as he said the comment.

Mikan was wearing a white, puffy halter party dress, lace decorating the bottom of it. A thin red ribbon wrapped around the dress and was tied into a thick red bow at the bottom of her v-neck collar. She wore a Santa hat with reindeer horns as well as a pair of red boots, matching her Santa hat. On top, she wore a short, glittery light blue cloak over her shoulders. The edges of the cloak were rimmed in fake fur, the same as her Santa hat and boots, and connect at the front with a hook. She wore a matching outfit to Natsume, who coincidently happened to be her boyfriend.

Hotaru was dressed as an elf, matching Ruka's outfit. She wore a short sleeved, wide collared olive green dress that reached just before her knees, revealing red and white striped stockings which led to knee high brown heeled boots. Placed on her head was an elf hat as well as elf ears.

As expected, Anna matched Koko as the gingerbread man. She wore a white, strapless, puffy dress that reached to just to her knee. Green and yellow buttons were lined down the middle and orange rimmed through every seem of the dress. She wore white low heeled shoes that had a green pompom on the front. On her head, she wore a head band made out of the same material as her dress, it was rimmed in orange as well. It tied into a thick bow at the side of her head, giving her a creative and innocent look.

Lastly, Nonoko wore a matching outfit to Yuu, their theme being Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. She wore a strapless, red puffy dress that reached to her knee. The edges of her dress were rimmed in fake white fur as a thick black belt wrapped tightly around her waist. She wore long red gloves that were also rimmed in fur as well as a Santa hat. On her feet, she wore knee length brown heeled boots and wrapped around her shoulders was a short cloak that matched her dress and tied in the front with two black pompoms.

The guys continued to stare at the girls, to sum everything up, they looked positively awesome and full of Christmas spirit.

While the guys were busy inspecting the girls, they took their time inspecting the rest of the guys since they already analyzed Natsume's attire.

Since Ruka's outfit was matching to Hotaru's, his consisted of specially designed t-shirt as well as ironed dressed shorts in the same green as Hotaru's dress. His shirt had a spiky rimmed collar, held closely by a thin red string that tied in a bow. Underneath, he wore a long sleeved shirt that was printed with red and white strips, matching the blackmailer's stockings. His shorts ended at his knee so only his kneecaps were visible since the rest of his legs were covered by brown boots. On his blond hair, he wore a matching elf hat with a red feather as well as elf ears.

Koko's outfit consisted of a white tux, just like Natsume's. But unlike his, the mind reader's consisted of seams that were rimmed in orange. His buttons were green and yellow buttons and his tie was yellow. He was suppose to represent Mr. Gingerbread man.

Yuu's outfit consisted of a white button up shirt and bright red pants. Black cloth tightly wrapped around his waist, representing Santa's black belt. He wore a bright red tie as well as a Santa Claus hat. On his feet, he wore black dress shoes.

Finally, they finished their little inspection as the group paired off and headed to the stadium.

By the time they got there, the party had just started.

Mikan looked around at all the different decorations and costumes. Heck, everything was so colorful; she couldn't tell which from which.

The eight friends dance the night away, eating and taking breaks in between. They even handed out their presents.

Suddenly, the spotlights turned on as Narumi-sensei stepped onto the stage.

"Hey everyone, how's the party?" He asked cheerfully as students shouted from all around as a response.

"Anyways, the night's almost over and I thought that maybe we could have special requests. Anyone have anything?" He continued as he looked around the crowd for hands.

"Get Mikan Sakura to sing us something." Someone demanded randomly.

In the background, the brunette paled at the sound of her name. Not again.

As if a wave blew over, everyone began to chant her name, begging for a performance.

Finally, Narumi-sensei spoke. "Well, maybe Mikan-chan can sing us just one song."

Yuu and Koko pushed her onto stage as she paled; she wasn't prepared for this turn of events.

She walked robotically to the mike, wanting to run out of the room at the moment. Oh what was she going to do?

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Youichi and his classmates coming to the front of the stage, each not wanting to be disappointed as they all expected a performance from their idol.

'_Great. Way to make a girl feel guilty and pressured.' _She sighed and took a deep breath. Oh well, might as well make the best of it. It was Christmas after all.

She cued the dj to play the music as the familiar notes rang through the speakers. She opened her mouth and let her voice resonate festively over the audience.

_**Oh Oh Yea  
Dear Santa Dear Santa  
Santa please don't forget me tonight  
I've been acting real good doing all that I should  
That I should've done right  
Dear Santa Dear Santa  
Could you bring your joy to the world  
Don't leave out any place put a smile on the face of every little boy & girl **_

Santa I know you'll read every word  
So I'm writing this letter to you  
My Christmas wish is for peace on earth  
I know you can make it come true

Dear Santa Dear Santa  
Spread some happiness from up above  
as you sore through the sky  
With your Reindeer that fly  
Fillin' every little heart with love  
Ummmm...

Santa I know that your on your way  
Better hurry up its Christmas Eve  
Tomorrow I'll wake to a magical day  
When everybody believes

Dear Santa Dear Santa  
I can already feel the good cheer  
There's a change in the air lots of hope everywhere  
That's way Christmas is my favorite time of the year

Thank You Santa Thank You SantaThank You Santa Thank You Santa  
There's just one more thing that I wanna do  
I wanna say merry Christmas dear Santa to you  
All the joy you bring All you do  
There's just one more thing that I wanna do  
I wanna say merry Christmas dear Santa to you  
All the joy you bring All you do 

The crowd cheered joyously as the brunette flushed with embarrassment. She saw all her friends clapping and cheering along with the crowd. She saw Youichi and his classmates jump for joy as they tried to scramble onto the stage as well. She also spotted Natsume whom seemed to look her directly in the eye and then left the room.

She smiled as she walked off the stage, following in Natsume's footsteps.

Outside, it had started to snow as a certain crimson eyed boy stood there waiting. No one was out at this hour since they were all inside partying their heads off.

He felt a presence and turned around only to be greeted by a smiling brunette.

"Hey Natsume. Did you enjoy the song?" She asked as she stepped closer to him.

He smirked. "No. Those boys in the crowd were going so crazy, I thought they would kidnap you or something. Oh wait, you meant the song. Yeah, it was okay- I guess."

The brunette pouted lovingly as he pulled her into his arms.

Staying in their embrace, she looked up and smiled at him. "Merry Christmas Natsume. I love you." She said before kissing him.

"Merry Christmas wreath print."

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**Arigato for reading minna-san. This was suppose to be your Christmas present but unfortunately due to a sudden family vacation, your present ended up under the tree on the second of January. WAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! **

**Oh by the way, the song in the last chapter was 'So Small' by Carrie Underwood. I love that song and she's a really good singer. Anyways, please review and tell me your thoughts, concerns, questions and advise. **

**Oh by the way, this was my first kissing scene, how was it? Too descriptive,short,shallow? Please tell me, I was blushing madly when I wrote that scene. Thanks once again for reading.**

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	23. Chapter 23

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!!**_

January seemed to pass quickly for Mikan and her friends. Spring was almost presentas the trees and plants began to bud.

Even though Mikan was stuffed with homework and jobs, she managed to place a smile on everyone's face. She balanced it all as well as make time for her friends. Of course this includes her boyfriend who followed her around everywhere as her bodyguard.

As for her training, it turned out Narumi was a very grueling teacher. Despite his looks, he used strange and hard methods to teach Mikan self control for her new Alice. The course was supposed to take two months but Mikan amazed everyone when she finished with one month to spare. By the end of January, she had copied most of the Academy's Alices and was considered powerful for having brains and bronze.

As for Mikan and Natsume, they suited each other like two pieces in a puzzle. He protected her, she kissed him. He took, she teased. He gave, she gave back. Everything seemed perfect and no one could possibly ruin that. Their love even lasted to Valentine's day, much to the dismay of both fan clubs since they couldn't shower their idols with gifts.

On that fateful day, the weather seemed warmer than usual as sunlight beamed through the windows, waking a certain brunette from her morning slumber.

The girl stirred, her hair spilling down the pillow as she tried to stay in her sub consciousness. Finally she gave up, her chocolate browns eyes opening she continued lay there.

She had just had a really weird dream though it might have been from that premonition Alice she copied about a week ago. Ever since, she had been able to know when the next pop quiz was and when Natsume would purposely trip her to peek at her underwear. He had tried ten times, failing in all his attempts.

Getting up and walking to her bathroom, she thought about her day. She only had one job today and that was to appear on some Valentine's special and sing a song. There was also no school today since it was already predicted that no female student would be able to pay attention on academics, so instead, the Academy had issued February 14th as a self study day, giving students and teachers a break from their usual schedules.

She did her usual morning routine and got dressed. Although it was a usual day for the celebrity, there was one exception. Since it was Valentine's day, Natsume and Ruka were particularly upset that they had work, so they had requested- actually Natsume threatened- to Narumi-sensei that they accompany the two girls to keep them from being overrun by adoring fans.

Stepping out of her bathroom and into the bedroom, she quickly chose her outfit. In the end, she decided on a white strapped sundress that tightened high on the waist, leaving the rest of the skirt flowing. The back of the straps were crisscrossed while the bottom rim of her dress was embroidered with magenta pink beads. She wore a baby pink, long sleeved bolero on top and matched it to a pair of white-heeled sandals that strapped at her ankles. She tied her hair into a loose braid, throwing it so it laid on her front with a pink ribbon visible at the bottom.

Checking herself in the mirror, she gathered her belongings and left, locking the door behind her.

Walking to the cafeteria, she greeted her fans as they passed, who stared at her joyously. Even though she had revealed herself several months ago, people around her still squealed at the sight of her, including those who saw her everyday.

"Ohayo." She greeted her friends as she sat down at the table with the rest of them.

"Ohayo Mikan. Happy Valentine's Day." Two girls greeted, one consisting of pink hair while the other contrasted in midnight blue. Both were holding out a box of homemade chocolates as they gave them to her.

"Thanks you guys. Happy Valentines." Mikan greeted back.

Suddenly, she pulled started to pull boxes of chocolates out for everyone as they all stared at her.

Handing a box to each of her friends, she smiled as they thanked her vigorously.

She turned as she felt a tap on her shoulder, sweat dropping at the sight.

In front of her kneeled a least a hundred boys. Each had hearts in their eyes as they held out boxes of chocolates, bouquets of roses, presents or cards towards her.

The one who tapped her shoulder was none other than the fan club president himself, Hiro Toshi, who was carrying a wreath of roses and a gigantic box of chocolates.

"Miss Mikan Sakura, we know you have a boyfriend, who happens to be that numbskull Hyuuga, but we can't resist you. So we've decided to give these to you when he wasn't around. Please accept them." He said as the entire fan club bowed their heads.

But before Mikan could respond, the wreath of roses that was held before her burst into flames, scaring the life out of the fan club president as he looked up.

Walking towards them was none other than Natsume Hyuuga, whose eyes narrowed dangerously into a death glare as he got nearer.

"Natsume, why did you do that? That was so mean." Mikan shouted angrily. She understood his reasons and intentions but did he really have to be _that_ mean?

"You guys, stop harassing Polka dots." He ordered as he stood in front of them.

Mikan pouted at the sound of her name while the fan club gasped.

"Don't call Mikan-sama by such a despicable name, you vile creature." Hiro retorted, his face twisting and becoming uglier by the second.

"You want to see how vile I can really be?" The crimson-eyed boy asked daringly.

The rest of the fan club cowered in fear as the president growled in defeat.

"Whatever." He grunted as he led the fan club away.

Everyone was silent as the raven-haired boy took a seat.

Mikan turned and faced her boyfriend, forgetting about what happened earlier.

"Ohayo Natsume." She said cheerfully, pulling out her bag once more.

Still smiling, she handed him a box of chocolates.

"Is this all?" He asked quizzically. He seemed to recall Mikan saying that she had a big surprise for him.

The brunette smiled mischievously. "Nope. This is part one."

"Then what's part two?" He asked, raising his eyebrow in confusion.

"This." She said, before leaning over and kissing him fully on the lips.

Startled by the sudden action, the raven-haired boy stared wide-eyed as the brunette closed hers, not caring that they were in public. Once he got over his shock, he closed his eyes and lost himself in the kiss as well.

Around them, sounds of catcalls, wolf whistles, cheering, crying and camera clicking were heard. Approximately one minute and thirty-seven seconds later, the two finally broke apart for air before settling back into their seats.

"Man, that was hot." Koko exclaimed while cheering.

"I never knew Mikan Sakura would be so daring. Wait, I thought you didn't do PDA's." Anna stated, demanding a answer.

The brunette grinned sheepishly. "I don't. But today is Valentine's day."

Her friends cracked a smile at the statement.

"Mikan onee-chan." A far off voice yelled.

The eight friends turned around to see who it was, realizing that it was Youichi who was running towards them, a big box of chocolates in his hand.

"Hi Youichi. Happy Valentine's Day." Mikan hugged him before handing him his gift.

"Arigato. Here's yours." The gray haired boy smile before handing over his box of chocolates.

"Thanks Youichi. I haven't seen you in so long, how are you?" She asked, placing the box of chocolates of the table.

Youichi blushed at the question, unsure of how to respond. "Uh . . . I have a girlfriend."

Everyone became wide eyed at the statement as Mikan giggled.

"That's so cute. Who is she?" She asked questionably.

"Her name is Ayame and she just transferred in. She's a transferee from America." he replied while looking away.

"Aww. I'll come visit your girlfriend next time, okay?" The brunette promised.

The teal-eyed boy blushed a little bit more before looking up and smiled. "Hai. Good bye Mikan onee-chan, good bye Natsume onii-san."

The young boy waved and sped off through the crowd.

"We should go now, Mikan. The limo should arrive any minute." An amethyst eyed manager interrupted as she looked at her watch.

Together, the four friends got up and left the dormitories, Mikan holding hands with Natsume while Ruka with Hotaru.

It turned out that Ruka had confessed to the genius blackmailer during the Christmas ball, sealing it with a kiss under the mistletoe on that fateful day. Ever since, they had been a wayward couple. Hotaru still sold her boyfriend's pictures but only to the extent where it didn't involve her in anyway. By now, she had probably sold more pictures than ever before.

Stepping into the limo, the four friends took a seat facing each other. The limo was spacious, just like the first one Mikan had ever ridden in except at that time there were two people not four.

Settling herself down, Hotaru pulled out a cloth bag from one of the compartments, spilling the contents onto her lap.

Eyeing them suspiciously, her friends were about to ask her what it was when Hotaru handed one of each to the boys.

"Take these." She ordered. handing them a pill and sunglasses each. "The pills change your appearances so you won't be recognized outside the Academy and the sunglasses are for you to look cool, you know, your typical bodyguard look."

But before either boys could respond, the amethyst eyed blackmailer spoke once more, this time pulling two nametags with chains attached. "Oh, and these are the passes you will need to get backstage incase we get separated. They also notify the people that you're working for Mikan as bodyguards. One more thing, Hyuuga, you must keep your hands off Mikan in public. So, to prevent either of you from using your Alices, the sunglasses as well as the chains holding the nametags are Alice prevention devices."

The azure eyed boy turned to his girlfriend sounding offended. "Why do I have to wear these? I don't lose control that easily."

The raven-haired girl turned towards her boyfriend, giving him a sarcastic look. "You're about as rational as the number of times Hyuuga gets jealous. Plus, these were issued by the Academy so I guess you can sort of take this as a mission. One more thing, no lovey dovey comments, actions, or gestures. Nothing that could ruin Mikan's reputation as a celebrity. You're lucky that I'm not allowed any of my inventions during missions but if I catch anything, I'll make up for it with my baka gun once we get back to the Academy."

Her amethyst eyes narrowed dangerously on the two boys, her eyes becoming a mocking glare of Natsume's.

"Oh Hotaru." She smiled awkwardly, trying to change the atmosphere.

"Oh look we're here." The brunette exclaimed as she almost jumped from her seat.

The two boys quickly put the sunglasses and nametags on before swallowing the pill that altered their appearances.

Natsume's hair became silky blond as his eyes sparkling violet. He looked like a miniature Narumi-sensei except with a scowl.

Ruka's appearance changed as his eyes became golden yellow and his hair turned to fiery red, giving him a dangerous and distanced look.

The two girls stared at the two guys approvingly before opening the limo door and stepping into a crowd of fans.

"MIKAN SAKURA, I LOVE YOU!!!"

"MIKAN SAKURA, BE MY VALENTINE!!!"

"MIKAN SAKURA, GO ON A DATE WITH ME!!!"

Natsume growled while clearing a way through the crowd. If he wasn't wearing sunglasses, his glare alone would have been enough to send the fan boys packing.

"You know, that girl beside her is pretty hot as well."

"Yeah, you're right."

"HEY GIRL BESIDE MIKAN SAKURA, WILL YOU GO ON A DATE WITH ME!!!"

"NO!!! BE MY VALENTINE!!!!"

"NO!!! BE MINE!!!"

This time it was Ruka's turn to growl. How dare they talk to his girlfriend like that. If he could use his Alice right now, every one of them would be trampled to death by elephants.

Unlike the two guys, Hotaru and Mikan had their emotions completely under control. While the amethyst eyed blackmailer glared at all who yelled at her, Mikan waved and smiled at her fans.

Finally, after several struggling moments, the four friends made it to the front door, which was guarded by a well-built bodyguard.

After checking their passes, the bodyguard welcomed them into the building, greeted by the eyes of many staff workers.

They scurried towards the celebrity like mother hens and quickly led her to a changing room, followed by her manager and the two bodyguards in disguise.

Moments later, the brunette emerged from the room, ready for the stage. If Natsume wasn't the kind to keep a facade, he would probably be jaw-dropped.

She was stunning. She was wearing a light pink, low collared, short sleeved dress that reached just before her knees. Her sleeves were a little bit puffed, giving her an angelic look. Around her neck, she wore a pink colored chocker with a heart shaped pendant attached. The edges of her chocker as well as her dress were rimmed in white lace while a matching frilled apron wrapped around the front of her waist, tying in a neat bow in the back as it hung one inch above her dress. On her feet, she wore shiny pink plastic heeled boots that zipped just before her knees. Her long brunette hair was let down, each strand perfectly in place as it shone with silkiness and brilliance.

Smiling, the brunette walked towards the entrance of the stage, waiting for her cue to go on and perform.

The show had already started but she was still on time.

As for Mikan's three companions, they followed her as she waited patiently for her cue.

Finally, after moments of waiting, her name was called, accompanied by a thunderous applause.

The brunette turned and blew a quick kiss to a certain disguised bodyguard before running onto stage, the applause growing even louder as she stood behind the mike.

"Hi minna-san. Happy Valentine's Day!!!! I hope you enjoy today's special as much as I do. Anyways, this song is dedicated especially to Valentine's Day. I hope this will encourage every girl out there who have fallen in love." The starlet shouted cheerfully into the mike as cameras zoomed in from all angles.

Of course, this special was broadcasted live throughout all of Japan, making it even more special than it really was for the audience out there.

The music started, replacing the cheering of some fans as she began to sing.

_**I wish upon a star  
Wanna be right where you are  
You set my world on fire  
Babe I got a crush on you  
I wish upon a star  
Can't you see how right we are  
We should be together  
Babe I got a crush on you **_

I used to turn around and walk away  
Never stopped to play  
Cause there was no attraction

But in my heart you start to grow on me  
Kind of suddenly  
So now I've changed direction

Knowing it might seems strange  
Love came over me  
Feeling the luck has changed  
Do you want me, like I want you? 

_**I wish upon a star  
Wanna be right where you are  
You set my world on fire  
Babe I got a crush on you  
I wish upon a star  
Can't you see how right we are  
We should be together  
Babe I got a crush on you  
**_

_**In this cold world, where dreams are few  
Baby, I want you  
Is it to much to ask for? **_

I'll take you places where you never been  
If you just give in  
So babe, it's now or never

Knowing it might seems strange...  
Love came over me  
Feeling the luck has changed  
Do you want me, like I want you?

I wish upon a star  
Wanna be right where you are  
You set my world on fire  
Babe I got a crush on you  
I wish upon a star  
Can't you see how right we areWe should be together  
Babe I got a crush on you  


_**Me and you, you and me. Living a life in harmony  
It's magic (magic) babe I've got a crush on you **_

So if you feel the way I do  
Would you fancy to  
To take a ride beside me?  


_**I wish upon a star  
Wanna be right where you are  
You set my world on fire  
Babe I got a crush on you  
I wish upon a star  
Can't you see how right we are  
We should be together  
Babe I got a crush on you  
**_

The crowd cheered as Mikan panted slightly, waving to the sea of people.

The song was not her usual style but she enjoyed it none the less. Also, she had written that song thinking about a certain raven-haired boy. It was the perfect song for Valentine's Day no matter how you looked at it.

"Arigato minna!!" Mikan shouted in the microphone as the crowd cheered louder. Boys from all angles could be seen trying to clamber on to the stage, but unfortunately for them, they were held back by security.

Smiling and waving one last time, she walked off the stage, her long brown hair trailing behind her, shining in the warm spotlights.

Backstage, the two bodyguards were blown away by yet another spectacular performance. Mikan had a skill of lighting the stage with her talent, attitude and above all, smile.

Of course, Natsume had to control himself from pummeling her fan boys. Seriously, the fan boys were even proving to be a difficulty for the numerous amount of security guards. Not just that, he saw boys drooling at the sight of her in that outfit, some of them even trying to look under her skirt since the stage was raised. Fortunately, they failed in doing so as the skirt was especially designed at a certain length to prevent peeping toms.

Running backstage, the brunette smiled at her companions as she took a towel that was ready in Hotaru's hand.

Placing the towel around her neck, she smiled as she looked up to them.

"So how did you like the song?" She asked innocently.

"That was so cool." A disguised blond haired boy stated, his voice filled with awe.

"It was okay but the thing that counts is the money that will come in once I auction these pictures on Ebay." A glint appeared in the manager's eyes as she replied the brunette's question.

"Whatever, Miss Sakura." Natsume grunted, reminding them of their locations.

Picking up the hint, Mikan smiled lightly and replied. "You shouldn't be so mean _Hyuuga_-san."

The brunette headed to her change room, leaving a growling Natsume in her wake.

After she changed, the four friends made their way out the door, greeting many fans that were waiting for her to leave.

Again, they were bombarded by the many comments, cheers and squeals of fan boys, who were glared off by the two bodyguards as they pushed their way to their limo.

Finally, after many struggling moments they reached their transportation and made their way home.

* * *

The iron gates opened as the sleek, black limo sped through onto Academy grounds, dropping its' guests at the front of their dormitories. 

The four friends stepped out into the bright sunlight, Mikan waving goodbye as the limo drove away.

As soon as the limo was out of sight, she smiled as she turned to her raven-haired boyfriend.

"So . . . what should we do for the rest of the day?" The brunette asked innocently.

The crimson eyed boy smirked as his eyes gave a off a glint of mischief. Oh he could think of a few things.

"Are you sure you want to find out?" He asked daringly, confusing the poor girl as the other couple watched on.

"Sure. As long as it's fun." She stated, unable to grasp it's second meaning.

"Oh, it's fun." He reassured her.

The crafty, perverted lad snaked an arm around the petite girl's waist, drawing her close as she continued to wonder what was going on. She was still completely oblivious to what Natsume had in mind.

But before he could make another sly comment, a hand separated the couple back into two individuals.

"Okay, break it up. It would be bad for Mikan's image if something happened after your little _escapade_." The genius inventor inquired with an arched eyebrow.

The brunette face her manager questionably. "What are you talking about Hotaru?"

But before anyone could reply, a certain violet-eyed teacher approached the foursome, a serious look upon his face.

"Mikan, Hotaru. I need you to come with me. There's something I need to discuss with you." Narumi-sensei stated. Even his tone of voice was serious.

The two girls stared at each other and faced their teacher once more, replying at the same time. "Sure Narumi-sensei."

As the two girls began to follow the teacher, one turned around, facing a somewhat disappointed and angry crimson-eyed boy.

"Natsume, I'm sure this won't take long. I see you at the sakura tree when I'm done, okay?" The brunette waved cheerfully.

"Hn." He replied as he continued to look at her ongoing figure until they disappeared from sight.

The two boys stood there in silence before heading their separate ways, both awaiting their girlfriends to return to their arms.

Heading for the sakura tree, Natsume stared up at the sky. Even though he wasn't one of those boys who grew mushy and emotional, he knew how to treat a lady, especially on Valentine's day. That's why he had had a special gift prepared, something he had especially prepared for Mikan.

Approaching the blossoming tree, the raven-haired boy sat against the trunk and pulled out a blue velvet covered jewelry box.

Inside, was a pendant made of diamond that was dyed pink. He had made it himself. Since he had the Alice of Fire, he created the diamond by increasing the temperature to a white hot degree as well as mixing it with his Alice stone, thus forming a gentle, light pink diamond. Matching the color, he had carved the precious stone into a small sakura. Attached to the top of the sakura was a thin, silver chain, making it known that it was actually a pendant necklace.

Indeed, it was beautiful and any girl would want a gift like that for herself. But of course, the raven-haired lad only had one girl in mind and that brunette could never be replaced.

Suddenly disturbing his thoughts, he felt a presence approach him as he hid his gift.

As he turned, he realized it was his brunette even though she looked somewhat different.

"Hey." Was all she said as she lowered herself down onto his lap.

They stared at each other for a few moments before she leaned forward to capture his lips.

He responded eagerly, expecting her to respond the same way. But for some reason, her response seemed different, it seemed apologetic. Her usual kisses were happy and innocent but this one seemed almost as if they were saying goodbye.

Pulling back, he looked at her, trying to find an answer as his face hid his worry.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he noticed tears sprouting from her chocolate brown eyes.

She looked away, her tears starting to roll down her cheeks.

"Natsume, I'm leaving for America."

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**Thanx for reading minna. Sorry I took so long with this chapter. I would say that I have cruel teachers but that reason is getting old no matter how true it is. So instead, I'll say I've been driven up the wall and through the roof by teachers. **

**Anyways, as you can see, this is not the end. There is still one major climax. Plus, I'll provide a little warning in the second last chapter. But for now, don't be too eager cuz this fic isn't over. **

**Once again, thank you for reading and comments, concerns, questions, thoughts and advise are welcomed. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please be patient for the next one. **


	24. Chapter 24

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!!**_

"Excuse-me?" He asked, his voice filled with shock as his crimson eyes stared interrogatively at the brunette.

"I'm going to America to star in a movie. The executive signed me up for it because it would be a really good benefit for me and my career. I'll be leaving with Hotaru and Narumi-sensei. I won't be back until next year when all the filming and extras are done." She explained, her eyes still looking away.

"What!!! But then you are leaving everyone behind. When you return, there will only be a couple months before graduation or even after graduation and also, why in the bloody hell is that girly freak of a teacher going as well? Shouldn't you have a bodyguard? And how about Ruka? Are you going to break him up with that blackmailer?" He nearly shouted, losing control of his usual facade.

Cringing from the decibels and the tone of his voice, she unconsciously looked up, her eyes begging for forgiveness.

"Natsume, please calm down. I'm sorry but I just found out." Mikan pleaded as her boyfriend settled back down moodily.

"So when are you leaving?" He asked grudgingly.

"Tomorrow." She murmured.

He looked up, his eyes wide with shock as his possessive side start to take over.

"No!!! Quit!! You can't leave, especially so soon. Call that stupid executive and tell him to cancel the contract. I won't allow it." He ordered, his eyes revealing need, anger and frustration.

She eyed him, her mind starting to seethe with anger. She couldn't believe he was saying this!

"I don't belong to you, you know. Even though you're my boyfriend and I know you're upset about the whole ordeal, you can't order me around like this." She countered, her tears completely gone.

"So you _want_ to go?!? You _want_ to leave me!!!" He asked angrily, raising his voice a bit and not realizing his slip.

She looked at him softly, her mind coming to a sudden realization. So this is what it was all about.

"No, I don't want to leave you but I do have to admit that I want to go. It will be a new experience for me and this is one chance I can't pass up even if I had a choice." She reached out and held his hands gently, trying to comfort him.

He was like a spoilt child who always got what he wanted. But when he couldn't have something for once, whether it was an object or human, he would desperately try to reach it, throwing a tantrum and moping around in the process. _That_ was Natsume.

"But then you'll be leaving for a whole year!!" He still didn't want her to leave the place where he was and at the moment he was willing to try anything to have things return to the way they were before. He wanted her to be there with him in the Academy as well as out of.

"And I'll be missing you the entire time I'm away. I love you Natsume, and nothing can ever change that." She replied softly in return before pulling herself closer to him, landing them in a kiss.

The kiss was upsweeping. It was gentle yet aggressive, desperate yet strong, apologetic yet angry and above all lovely yet lustful. She wanted to send her feelings as well as apology through the kiss while he replied, needing and angry.

Unconsciously, he wrapped his arms around her petite waist and pulled her closer, gentling his responses as he began to reply in a more lovable and forgiving nature.

The kiss, itself, was mind blowing. They both lost themselves to the kiss as they enjoyed one another's company. Like the waves and the shore, or the clouds and the sky, their kiss seemed to be everlasting, like they had been like that since the beginning of time and will continue for all eternity.

But unlike that desired fantasy, they, in the end, were just humans. And like any other human, they had to breathe. Finally, they let up for air as they stood in each other's embrace, panting slightly while they gazed at each other, both reminded by how much they love one another as well as wondering if they were on the same page.

"I love you." She said sweetly as her brunette hair began to sway in the wind.

For once, Natsume couldn't suppress a smile. Even though it was a small smile, it lit up his face nonetheless. The usually expressionless facade was off at the moment, revealing to Mikan the emotions on his face, which he had never done before, not even with his best friend. He was completely aware of the fact that he was smiling, but then again, who wouldn't smile when the love of your life tells you she loves you. Three simple words providing such powerful feelings that seem to pulse through your veins.

He leaned in until their foreheads touched, allowing him to take in her scent, which seemed to suit her perfectly. She smelled like strawberries and she wasn't even wearing perfume today. He had always loved strawberries. Though he would never admit it, he savored the sweet fruit whenever he had it but being around her, he loved the fruit even more, especially the fact that the scent belonged to _his_ polka dots.

Smiling, the brunette clasped her hands into his and looked at him.

In reality, the description of a child suited Natsume perfectly. He was mischievous and spoiled, always bent on getting what he wanted. But when he was finally happy and content, he was like any other child, sweet and completely innocent. Maybe that was what she loved about him.

Even though she didn't know the past Natsume, she could always see him still alive in the raven-haired boy. Because no matter how old, or how smart, or how sinister, he would always revert back to his true self once in a while, accidentally revealing emotions and desires which were meant to be locked up within his heart. Plus his anger and stubbornness could only rival little children who have yet learn some important self-morals and self-restraint.

Silently, she let go of one hand and began to drag him away from the sakura tree.

The rest of the day, they spent it like they had originally planned, both knowing that they would not be like this for a long, long time.

* * *

That night, after Natsume had dropped his girlfriend off at her room, he headed towards his room, opening his door and laying down on the bed. 

That was when he felt something in his pocket. Pulling the somewhat large object from his pocket, he realized it was the necklace that was meant to be her gift. How could he forget.

Cursing himself, he looked at his clock, pondering whether he should visit her room. But his plans were immediately cancelled when he realized it was midnight. There was no possible way he could visit since she would already be asleep.

Placing the gift on his bedside table, he too got ready for bed, mentally preparing himself for tomorrow's good bye.

* * *

By the next morning, it seemed that everyone knew about Mikan Sakura's leave. 

As she made her way to the table where her friends were situated for lunch, fan club members cried while people looked at her with sorrow. It was almost as if someone died.

"Good morning everyone." She said, sounding perfectly cheerful.

"Oh Mikan. Why do you have to leave?" Anna cried, her eyes slightly puffy.

The brunette gave a sad smile. "I'm sorry Anna. I'm sorry minna, I hope you understand though. Don't worry, we'll always be friends and I'm only away for a year."

As comical as it seems, the mention of this made Anna cry even more, as people began to back away, leaving Koko to take care of his girlfriend.

"But where is Natsume?" Yuu asked as his eyes looked around the cafeteria.

The brunette's face fell. Was he still upset?

"I think he's still in shock." She said, giving a wary laugh, and trying to hide her discomfort and disappointment on the subject.

Not wanting to speak anymore, she quickly started eating, happy that their conversation turned a new direction.

Just as she finished, another little character showed up, his grey hair bobbing up and down while his teal eyes revealed sadness.

"Is it true?" He asked her directly. "Is it true that you're leaving?"

She gave him a sad smile, nodding slightly in the process.

He sniffed before continuing. "I'll miss you, onee-chan."

"Aww, you don't need to cry You-chan, and I'll miss you too. When I come back, you're going to be a grown boy so you have to be nice to people, okay? You shouldn't take after Natsume too much, got it?" She said, giving the young boy a hug.

Sniffling one last time, he hugged back before replying. "I'm not crying. And I'll _try_ to be nice to people, though no guarantees are made."

The brunette giggled at his response.

"Bye onee-chan. I'll miss you. You better be successful in your movie." He waved as he ran off again, leaving the table of teenagers to themselves.

"Mikan, it's about time." Interrupted the amethyst-eyed blackmailer.

They all stood up and headed for the door, greeted by a limousine waiting at the front of the building.

The brunette sighed. In the end, Natsume didn't come to breakfast. Was he coming at all?

The door of the limousine opened as a familiar blond haired teacher stepped out, gracing his students with a smile.

"Ready to go, Mikan-chan? Hurry, our flight's in two and a half-hours and we still have to check in." Narumi-sensei said as many suitcases were loaded in the back.

Their friends stared at them in surprise at what he said.

"Why is Narumi-sensei going?" Yuu asked curiously.

"Because, Hotaru and I will need to catch up on schoolwork and he's going to be the sensei who teaches it to us." Mikan replied as if stating the obvious.

"Oh!" The class president replied.

"We should get going." Hotaru commanded, while turning herself to face Ruka.

He gave her one last hug as they began to climb into the limo.

But just as Mikan, the last of the trio was about to climb in, a voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

"WAIT!!!" A familiar voice sounded as a raven-haired lad raced towards the group.

"Natsume." She whispered, shocked that he had made it in the end.

They stood staring at each other for a few moments, cueing their friends to give them some time alone.

They waved good bye as Hotaru closed the door behind her, allowing more silence to flow between them.

"I'll miss you." She murmured, just loud enough for him to here.

Nodding in response, he pulled his belated Valentine's gift out of his pocket.

She gasped when she opened it. Of all the jewelry she had seen, worn and encountered in her life, she had never seen anything so pure, elegant and beautiful. Stroking the pink pendant, she realized that the stone was warm, as if it was radiating heat. She looked up with curiosity.

"It's made from my Alice stone. That's why it's warm and that's why it's pink as well." His crimson eyes bore into hers as she smiled.

"Thank you." She said before hugging him and drawing him into a kiss.

It was not for a few moments before they separated, each holding a tinge of pink on their cheeks.

"Remember to write." He reminded her.

She looked at the floor, her eyes suddenly filling with sadness and disappointment.

"I can't." she simply said.

"What?" He asked, hoping he didn't hear what he thought he heard.

"No one can have any kind of contact with the Academy unless they're part of the government. Plus, we'll be shooting in the country side most of the time, so there won't be internet signals, phone lines, or even mail boxes. The closest town that I'm aware of is approximately 50 miles away but I think that that is actually a ghost town. There's no way I can contact you since Hotaru can't use any hint of her Alice and Narumi-sensei won't be in contact with the Academy incase the call or whatever is traced." The entire time, her chocolate brown eyes kept to the ground, unable to meet the familiar pair of angry crimson eyes.

He exhaled slowly, trying to take in all that she said. No contact!!! What kind of idiot would permit that? She could be killed and no one would know. Damn Academy and their security precautions.

"So I won't know how you're doing until you get back." He stated.

"No. You'll know how I'm doing because of all the other stuff I have to do. Actually I think you'll be hearing even more from me." She gave him a small smile, bringing her eyes up when she knew it was safe.

"I'll miss you. You better take good care of yourself and don't be too mean to people and also, don't teach Youichi your perverted antics. I don't want him to grow up being a carbon copy of you." She hugged him one last time.

"I'll miss you too." He whispered in her ear, tickling the sensitive skin.

She pulled back as her boyfriend opened the door.

She gave him one last smile before entering the limo, waving a little at her beloved.

They knew they would not see each other for a long time but at least they got to part somewhat happily. Now, all they had to do was learn how to survive for the next twelve months on their own.

Natsume heaved a sigh as he watched the limousine zoom out of view.

'_I'll miss you.'_

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**Arigato for reading minna-san. I'm sorry if this chapter is shorter than usual but I promise to update sooner. Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed this farewell chapter of Mikan and Natsume. I'm sorry if this chapter seemed a bit rushed though. But don't worry, this is definately NOT the end. **

**That's all for now so until next time. Of course, thoughts, concerns, (demands,) questions, and advice are more than welcomed. **

**Arigato for reading. **


	25. Chapter 25

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!!**_

_RRRRRRRRRRRRRiiiiiiiiinnnnnnngggggg!!!_

She moaned as she smashed her hands upon the object, turning the alarm clock off just as it began to ring.

Sitting up, she stretched, her aching muscles screaming for further rest while her mind commanded her to get out of bed.

She yawned, stood up and headed the short distance to her washroom, her long brunette hair trailing behind her in tangles.

As she began her morning routine, she looked at herself in the mirror, reflecting upon the somewhat dark circles beneath her eyes.

It had been two months since she left the Academy. Two months since she last heard or seen her friends and fellow classmates and two months since she saw Natsume.

She sighed as memories of him flooded her mind. It was around this time that the usual feeling of homesickness consumed her body. Yet, despite the ugly feeling, she pushed herself on, knowing that the sooner she finished, the sooner she would get home.

Sighing once more, she left her bathroom and into her room to change.

Currently, she, Narumi-sensei and Hotaru were occupying a really big tour bus. _Her_ tour bus to be exact.

Indeed, this bus was so huge, consisting of four bedrooms with a small bathroom in each. There were other rooms as well, including, a living room, a kitchen, a downstairs bathroom, a laundry machine, a small office and a recording studio.

Of course, none of these rooms could compare to the Academy since it was a bus. But even though it was smaller than usual, it was richly furnished, making the place look spacious instead of cluttered.

She pulled out a pair of jeans and a pink hooded sweater, matching it with a pink headband. Since she would need to get into her costume anyways, there was no reason to dress up.

The brunette checked herself in the mirror once more. Satisfied, she headed downstairs where their teacher cooked a hearty breakfast for her.

Taking a bite of her breakfast, she looked up at Hotaru, who was drinking a cup of coffee while reading the English newspaper. She had been there even before Mikan, and was already done her breakfast.

"Hurry up Mikan. You have to be at the set by seven and it's 6:45." The amethyst eyed girl informed without looking up from her paper.

Mikan nodded quickly, gobbling down her breakfast in a matter of minutes. Helping it down with a glass of milk, the two girls stood up and left the tour bus, leaving their homeroom teacher behind, who was waving after them.

Five minutes later, they arrived on the set, greeted by the eager crew as they dragged the starlet to hair, costume and makeup.

This time, she was to wear an old fashioned pioneer dress instead of her usual traditional kimono.

In this scene, she was to walk among the English public, trying to blend in without being found out.

The story in general was actually a tragic love story. It took place in the olden day, around the time of World War II. In Japan, a strict merchant feared for his daughter's life, worrying of what might the war do to her reputation. Her name was Tsukino Rayo. Meanwhile, Tsukino had fallen in love with a young man, who loved her equally as well. Unfortunately, he was a poor man, one who had no prospects and no hope of marrying Tsukino.

But they continued anyways, meeting in secret and loving one another. They promised to be together forever and ever even if she had to run away just to be with him. But Tsukino's father found out one day when he happened to be walking by. Furious, he thought of this as the perfect opportunity to send Tsukino to safety, where she would be safe from the war and away from the poor man. Forcefully and against her wishes, she was taken to Hawaii without even saying goodbye to her lover.

Devastated, Tsukino locked herself in her room, refusing to do anything. But in reality, she was conjuring up an escape plan, hoping that she might flee back to Japan without the detection of her father. She tried many attempts but failed in all. In the end, she never escaped.

Three years later, she still longed for him though she had given up on escaping the household. She was still determined more than ever to return to Japan to meet her loved one once more.

In the past years, she began to love him even more, turning her depression and longing into a more comforting feeling. Life was peaceful, that was until the attack on Pearl Harbour.

On that fateful day, Tsukino was out on the town, having escaped once again from her household. She had just reached the town square when the Japanese invaded Pearl Harbour.

The attack left everything in chaos but luckily, Tsukino managed to hide in a hidden cellar, where she stayed completely safe.

Saddened by the deaths that laid before her, she took this as an opportunity to go back to Japan, knowing that her father would have thought she died.

She used the large sum of money that was on her, and bought a passage back to Japan after much struggling against the racism and laws built against her people.

Several months later, she finally set foot upon Japan, somewhat happy to be on land once more. Finally, she would see him, the man whom she loved with all her heart. She quickly traveled to his old home, hoping that he was still there.

She knew in her heart that he had waited for her, loving her and missing her as much as she did. But her world came crashing down as she found out that he had married, finding a new love after she had mysteriously left.

She was left in a world of depression, unable to look outside at the world and barely able to pay her rent at a dilapidated inn. Knowing that she could never resurface without his love, she did the one thing that would finally set her free. She died that day by jumping off a waterfall, landing her into the deep abyss as her soul rose to the sky.

It was a beautiful story indeed and Mikan had cried when she read it. It was just so touching and it was bound to capture anyone's heart. Surely, Tsukino's love could not be any truer.

* * *

"Thank you for all the hard work." The brunette shouted while taking a bow. 

"Thank you for all the hard work." The crew replied, smiling at her politeness.

She skipped her way to her raven-haired manager, who was sitting silently and watching the whole time. Hotaru got up, handing her friend a fresh bottle of water and a towel.

"Ah, today's filming is done." She exclaimed happily.

"Not yet. We still have to record those soundtrack songs today since it's the only free day that the producer can come." The amethyst-eyed girl replied, bursting Mikan's bubble.

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that. No wonder the shooting ended at 4:00 pm. It usually ends at 6:00pm." She said, thinking back.

The two girls headed their way back to their bus, relishing a little at their freedom.

* * *

"Konnichiwa, Mr. Producer." The brunette greeted as the powerful man entered. 

"Konnichiwa, Miss Mikan Sakura. I'm happy to meet you, and this must be your manager, Hotaru Imai." He greeted, looking at the two girls.

"Konnichiwa." Hotaru greeted in reply.

The three made their way to the recording booth, situated in the back of the tour bus.

Once they were inside, the producer as well as Hotaru sat down in front of the equipment while Mikan made her way into the booth.

In total, they were going to record 5 songs, each a soundtrack for the movie.

Of course, she had written the songs since she was the one singing them but among the five songs, the first of the five was her favourite. She had wrote it especially while thinking of Natsume, and it was guaranteed that she'll do her best.

Opening her mouth, she began to sing, accompanying the beautiful music that flowed through the headphones, letting her feelings pour into the recording.

**_Making my way downtown  
Walking fast  
Faces pass  
And I'm home bound _**

**_Staring blankly ahead  
Just making my way  
Making a way  
Through the crowd_**

**_And I need you  
And I miss you  
And now I wonder..._**

**_If I could fall  
Into the sky  
Do you think time  
Would pass me by  
'Cause you know I'd walk  
A thousand miles  
If I could  
Just see you  
Tonight_**

**_It's always times like these  
When I think of you  
And I wonder  
If you ever  
Think of me_**

**_'Cause everything's so wrong  
And I don't belong  
Living in your  
Precious memories_**

**_'Cause I need you  
And I miss you  
And now I wonder..._**

**_If I could fall  
Into the sky  
Do you think timeWould pass me by  
'Cause you know I'd walk  
A thousand miles  
If I could  
Just see you  
Tonight_**

**_And I, I  
Don't want to let you know  
I, I  
Drown in your memory  
I, I  
Don't want to let this go  
I, I  
Don't..._**

**_Making my way downtown  
Walking fast  
Faces pass  
And I'm home bound_**

**_Staring blankly ahead  
Just making my way  
Making a way  
Through the crowd_**

**_And I still need you  
And I still miss you  
And now I wonder..._**

**_If I could fall  
Into the sky  
Do you think time  
Would pass us by  
'Cause you know I'd walk  
A thousand miles  
If I could  
Just see you..._**

**_If I could fall  
Into the sky  
Do you think time  
Would pass me by  
'Cause you know I'd walk  
A thousand miles  
If I could  
Just see you  
If I could  
Just hold you  
Tonight_**

"Um, Mr. Producer, I have a favor to ask you." The brunette voiced as she finished the song.

"Yes, what is it?" He asked, looking up from the equipment.

"Is it possible to air this song in Japan as a preview to the movie. It might get people more excited about it." She said seriously.

The producer thought for a moment, pondering the suggestion before he smiled. "Of course. That's a genius idea. It'll definitely help with the promotion of the movie too."

Mikan smiled. "Arigato, Mr. Producer."

* * *

"So after, you factor 'x' and you'll get your answer. Do you get it?" The blond haired teacher looked up from the textbook, observing the two girls as they finished the question following his instructions.

Moments later, both of them looked up, having finished their work.

Satisfied with their answers, the violet-eyed teacher closed the book smiling.

"That's all we'll do today. You can rest for the rest of the night. Plus, it's already 10:00 pm." Narumi-sensei got up from his seat, collecting his papers.

Mikan smiled at her progress. Somehow, as much as she was loaded with jobs and school, she managed to balance everything so far. But would it last long?

This question lingered in the brunette's head even after she wished Hotaru and Narumi-sensei goodnight, lying down in her bed trying to predict the answer.

Finally, she gave up. There was no way to know unless she used her prediction Alice, and she was forbidden.

She sighed, closing her eyes and letting the feeling of rest settle in.

She was so tired, but there was so much to do that she didn't want to sleep. Actually, if she could, she'd spend the rest of her free time thinking of them, her friends that were on the Academy grounds, how were they, she wondered.

Especially him, was Natsume doing alright? She imagined his face; his deep, crimson eyes, and his soft, raven hair. She missed him dearly and it felt like her heart would burst from not knowing how her Natsume was faring.

Maybe this was how Tsukino felt when she was sent overseas. Maybe she also had this terrible feeling that a part of her was missing when they weren't together. How did she last three years without seeing her lover? How could she stand it?

Mikan winced, imagining the pain. And yet, she could place herself in Tsukino's shoes. Not just as an actress, but as a person too. She could understand why Tsukino became more determined throughout the movie, turning her depression and longing into love.

Actually, if you thought about it, she and Tsukino were really alike. Their attitudes and their love towards their loved one. Even the storyline was somewhat similar if you invert a few things. But would she turn out like Tsukino in the end of the movie?

'_Silly.'_ She thought as she turned over to her side, staring to succumb into slumber.

She pushed the topic away, drowning herself in memories and images of Natsume.

Tomorrow was another day,

'_and another day closer to you.'_

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Arigato for reading minna-san. So how was it? I updated as quick as I could though I think it's still pretty slow. As you noticed, this is sort of a sadder chapter based on Mikan's POV, but I enjoyed it nonetheless because it was so emotional on my part. I don't know if it's the same for you guys but I still hoped you enjoyed it. **

**Anyways, I'm kind of blaabing at the moment but comments, thought, questions, advice and so forth are more than welcomed obviously. Again, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter and I'll type the next chapter as quickly as I can. Arigato!!!**


	26. Chapter 26

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!! **_

Two months after she left, another bright, sunny day shone itself, lighting up the Academy grounds while casting shadows.

Under a certain sakura tree, a raven-haired boy sat, reminiscing the old days while gazing at the drifting pink petals.

Though it was still early in the morning, he had already been there for an hour, leaving his room at daybreak and watching the sunrise.

Sighing, he pulled out a photo from his jacket pocket, analyzing it for the millionth time.

The picture was a photo that was actually given by the blackmailer, herself, leaving it at his door the day of their departure. The picture showed a girl with long, flowing brunette hair, leaning on him as they slept under the sakura tree.

He as sure as hell did not know how and when she took the picture, for he was certain that Mikan had always put a nullifying barrier up whenever they were at the sakura tree. But one thing was definite, the picture was irresistibly and undeniably cute, even he had to admit that. The moment back in time brought him pure bliss as he remembered the dear times with his girlfriend.

Sure, he was a cold guy and has gotten even colder since, but even though he would never admit it in public, he missed Mikan dearly. It was almost like a part of him was missing, like he wasn't able to breathe properly. It was amazing that he survived up until now, the feeling of longing growing each day.

He sighed once more, before returning the picture to his pocket, patting it to make sure it was safe.

And yet, it felt like somehow she was there all along, like she was right beside him and that he had only talked to him yesterday. Maybe it was all hints from the media coverage of her. It was so blatantly obvious to the students in the Academy that there was no point in guessing.

Of course, if you were an outsider, like the paparazzi, then it's a whole new story. They hadn't picked up on a single hint.

The first, showcasing itself two weeks after she left, were the pictures of new night gowns she modeled for a fashion magazine. On the front cover, as well as every other dress she wore in the magazine, the brunette sported the pink diamond pendant necklace he gave her, surprisingly matching every dress that it was paired with. Anyone could tell that the dresses were matched to the necklace, instead of the other way around, but for some reason, no one found this suspicious as they moved on with their daily lives. Even the students of the Academy didn't notice the first clue since Natsume had given Mikan the necklace moments before she left.

Another one started a week after the magazine. Some talk show host was interviewing his brunette, and when asked whom she missed most in Japan, she replied that she missed her 'kuro neko' the most. Of course, everyone outside the Academy thought she meant a cat and continued to question her about her 'pet'. Even news articles and stories in magazines were posted about this quote, magazines going as far as paying photographers double for a picture of Mikan and a cat.

Of course, the activities and reactions within the Academy were different. No matter where he turned, fan boys glared at him by fan girls burned with jealousy at the interview.

Yep, that's right, the fan girls had resurfaced and were as crazy as ever- correction, they were actually crazier than before, targeting the raven haired lad with months' worth of 'affection'.

They crowd him from every angle, practically killing him with the strong combinations of stink from their perfumes. Some even went as far as throwing themselves at his feet and begging him to take them right then and there in the middle of the hallway. Maybe that's what happens when the months of desperation that were locked in each of them are finally released, since even crazy couldn't describe them.

The fan boys, on the other hand, were pretty much just as crazed, though obviously not in the same sense. No, their craziness involved the worship of the crimson-eyed boy's girlfriend as well as targeting him with glares from every corner. No matter where he walked, no matter how much time passed, the amount of glares didn't waver, some guys even randomly coming up to him to challenge him so they could see who deserved the brunette more.

Whenever this happened, he would give his infamous smirk, making some girls faint in the process, before replying that he was already Mikan's boyfriend, so there was nothing to battle out. But the fan boys were always unsatisfied with his answers so like always, Natsume would beat the crap out of them right then and there. You can probably guess how those turned out.

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a voice call out to him.

"NATSUME." A blond haired boy shouted, running towards him with his ipod in hand.

"What's with you?" He asked when his best friend finally arrived.

Like him, Ruka had also taken his girlfriend's leaving somewhat hard, maybe even harder since he couldn't physically see how she was doing. And just like him, girls had mobbed him from all around, only to be pushed away when they annoyed him too much.

"Mikan has a new song, you want to hear?" He asked, his azure eyes somewhat sparkling.

"Hn." The raven-haired boy replied, moving aside so his friend could sit down.

He took the invitation, lending an earphone to the crimson-eyed boy in return.

Both boys closed their eyes, letting a familiar voice fill their heads as they imagined their girlfriends safe and well.

_**Making my way downtownWalking fast  
Faces pass  
And I'm home bound **_

Staring blankly ahead  
Just making my way  
Making a way  
Through the crowd

And I need you  
And I miss you  
And now I wonder...

If I could fall  
Into the sky  
Do you think time  
Would pass me by  
'Cause you know I'd walk  
A thousand miles  
If I could  
Just see you  
Tonight

It's always times like these  
When I think of you  
And I wonder  
If you ever  
Think of me 

_**  
'Cause everything's so wrong  
And I don't belong  
Living in your  
Precious memories **_

'Cause I need you  
And I miss you  
And now I wonder...

If I could fall  
Into the sky  
Do you think time  
Would pass me by  
'Cause you know I'd walk  
A thousand miles  
If I could  
Just see you  
Tonight

And I, I  
Don't want to let you knowI, I  
Drown in your memory  
I, I  
Don't want to let this go  
I, I  
Don't...

Making my way downtown  
Walking fast  
Faces pass  
And I'm home bound 

_**Staring blankly ahead  
Just making my way  
Making a way  
Through the crowd **_

And I still need you  
And I still miss you  
And now I wonder...

If I could fall  
Into the sky  
Do you think time  
Would pass us by  
'Cause you know I'd walk  
A thousand miles  
If I could  
Just see you... 

_**If I could fall  
Into the sky  
Do you think time  
Would pass me by  
'Cause you know I'd walk  
A thousand miles  
If I could  
Just see you  
If I could  
Just hold you  
Tonight**_

Moments of silence passed as the two boys' eyes stayed closed. They were savoring the feeling and tranquility at the moment, knowing that they would both depend on it for the next little while.

The raven-haired boy sighed silently in contentment. Already, he could tell that Mikan missed him dearly, probably just as much as he missed her.

Though he would never admit it, he had secretly been a fan of his loving girlfriend, even before she appeared in the Academy. Her music was relaxing while carrying a certain jolt of excitement and uniqueness. Not just that, her music seemed to speak out to him, and now, he relied on it like the air he breathed in.

He was already missing her like hell but at least it lessened with the constant media coverage. Before, he found the paparazzi annoying and unnecessary, but now, now it was a whole new story. He was actually somewhat thankful.

He opened his crimson eyes, pulling the earphone out of his ear before handing it back to his azure-eyed friend.

"Seems like they're okay at the moment." The blond haired boy stated, his mouth turning into a small smile.

"Yeah." Was all the crimson-eyed boy replied in return as the two boys gazed at the drifting sakura pedals.

'_Mikan, I miss you.'_

* * *

A month later, the two boys entered the classroom, expecting another crowding of fan girls. But instead, nobody in the classroom noticed them as everyone was huddled around something else.

Natsume stared at a certain mind reader, who, at the moment, was the only one sitting at his desk.

"What's going on?" The raven-haired boy asked as he and his best friend approached him.

The mind reader looked at the pair of boys, giving his usual goofy look.

"They're looking at some magazine." He stated casually. "About some new chick who just debuted a month ago. She's pretty hot, actually. That's why the guys are all crowding around to take a look. Heard that her name was Luna Koizumi or something."

The two nodded. They had both stopped listening when they heard that it wasn't information about their girlfriends. Who cares about some random, newbie chick anyways?

Suddenly, the bell rang, scattering the throng of students as they sat in their rightful places.

Misaki-sensei, the replacement teacher for Narumi, walked in, carrying his usual supplies.

"Good morning class. Today, a new student will be joining us. I hope you make her feel welcome." He stated politely. "Miss, you can come in now."

Everyone, with the exception of a certain male who was currently sleeping behind his manga, turned and faced the door, shocked by who the girl turned out to be.

She walked to the front of the class, her skirt swaying somewhat dangerously with each step she took, gathering the looks of drooling boys.

Facing the class, she scanned the room, revealing to everyone the front of her face. She had short dirty blond hair, ending just at her shoulders while framing her face graciously. Her midnight blue eyes seem to sparkle with a certain glint as a small smile graced her features, giving her a sweet and innocent look.

"Konnichiwa. My name is Luna Koizumi and my Alice is the Soul Entrapping Alice. Please treat me kindly." The girl bowed her head politely.

"OH MY GOD!!! IT'S LUNA KOIZUMI!!!" A student yelled.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE'S IN OUR CLASS."

"CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH?"

"OH MY GOODNESS!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. FIRST, MIKAN SAKURA AND NOW LUNA KOIZUMI."

This last statement caught the blond haired girl's attention as she straightened back up, her facade slipping for a moment before returning. Unfortunately for her, no one noticed this except a certain mind reader.

"Well, let's find you a seat now, shall we?" Misaki-sensei suggested when the class finally calmed down.

The teacher gazed around the room, looking for a seat.

Suddenly, the sound of a book falling to the ground could be heard, catching the attention of everyone as they gazed at the direction of the sound.

A certain raven-haired boy jolted from his sleep, before grabbing the manga from the ground and returning to slumber. At the moment, he had no idea what was going on and he definitely did not care.

"Sensei, can I there? There's no one there." Luna asked, pointing to the spot beside Natsume.

Apparently, he had caught her attention. He could really make her look good in the Academy since he was quite hot compared to all the other guys she's ever met.

A voice interrupted her thoughts as she gazed up at her teacher.

"I'm sorry but that seat is already taken. Our student is just on a temporary leave right now. Oh, I know, why don't you sit next to Shouda-san." The teacher pointed to a green haired girl, who at the moment seemed to be primping herself.

"Hai." The midnight blue eyed girl responded politely as she made her way to her seat. A hint of displeasure was visible on her porcelain face. Obviously, she wasn't satisfied with this seating arrangement.

"Well, let's start class now. Can you please flip to page 203 in textbooks?" Misaki-sensei commanded when Luna was finally seated.

* * *

The bell rang as the students began to make their way to the cafeteria, each hungry for food.

In the back of the class, a certain raven-haired boy darted immediately out the door, determined to head to the sakura tree. He didn't notice the blond haired presence following him from behind.

* * *

He had not even sat down for a second when he noticed someone approaching him, and this one was definitely not Ruka. Damn, not another stupid fan girl.

Crimson eyes met midnight blue ones as the girl smiled at him.

He had to admit, she was pretty, but nothing compared to his brunette. Heck this girl was a long way from his girlfriend.

"Hi, I'm Luna and I'm new here. I couldn't help but notice that you seem to be alone, would you like me to join you?" She asked flirtatiously.

He glared at her. Who in God's name would even fall for that sleazy trick?

"Leave. You're annoying me and here's a little warning, especially if you think you have a chance at snagging me for a boyfriend. I already have a girlfriend and you could never beat her." He grunted rudely.

She eyed him interestingly. No one had ever overlooked her charms before. Usually by now, she'd have them putty in her palm. Plus, who was this girlfriend?

"Please don't make me laugh, no one can compare to me. Who is this girlfriend of yours? I bet I can beat her anytime and anywhere." She stated boastfully.

He smirked with a certain amusement. "Mikan Sakura."

Her facade slipped as her little world came crashing down. How come Mikan Sakura had everything? More boys paid attention to her, she had more fans, and was offered more jobs and now this!!!! How dare she?

The blond haired girl seethed in anger as she continued through her thoughts of hatred.

Suddenly, she snapped back to the present as she thought of a brilliant scheme. She was going to tear Mikan Sakura from the inside out.

She focused her attention back to the smirking boy, gazing at him as she activated her Alice.

"Neh, Natsume-_kun_. Tell me you love me." She stated as innocently as she could.

His smirking face became stoic as he heard the words.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Arigato for reading. You might all just kill me for this turn of events since it's exactly like you predicted. Actually, I was thinking about this part even before I typed this story and I was pretty shocked when I read some of your comments. I actually have this feeling that I'm being added to your hit lists as I type. Oh well, good luck hunting me down. :)**

**Speaking of comments, I recieved a couple that I would like to reply. **

**sweeti-cutie: I know about that story eversince that person posted chapter one. Actually, I was online at the time. I think that person's from the same time zone as me. Anyways, I was pissed at first but then I decided to let it go. Everyone has those moments where they wish that this or that happened in a certain sotry. It's just that that person took it one step further and made it a reality. I won't get mad at them unless everything is the same, from beginning to end and everything in between. So even though many things are alike, there are certain things thatare different and I can only wait and see. Wow, this was a long reply. **

**Frances Mae:** **Okay, I know you're an anonymous reviewer but if your reading this, here is the reply to your question. POV means point of view, meaning that character's perspective. **

**Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Comments, questions, advise, thoughts and concerns are more than welcome. Arigato.**


	27. Chapter 27

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!! **_

Seasons passed on the Academy grounds. Spring became summer and summer drifted into fall, with winter returning from its full cycle all the way back to spring. It had been a year.

A year since she had left for America. A year since she left and a year since they last had contact with each other.

Throughout the months in the Academy, their friends began to notice many changes in the fire caster to whom they called friend.

It had been nine months since that blond haired celebrity arrived. As expected, she gained her own fan club the moment she introduced herself, gaining the attentions of a generous amount of fan boys.

Some of those boys were even a part of the Mikan Sakura fan club but they joined the Luna Koizumi fan club anyways. Of course, they were still completely loyal to the brunette celebrity. Much to her outrage, Luna was aware of the fact that the brunette had at least double the fan boys she had at the moment.

As for Natsume, after the day she came, he became more distant from his best friend as well as the rest of the class. He started to follow Luna Koizumi around everywhere, almost as if he was her pet. His actions towards her were even more open towards the blonde than how he treated Mikan in the past. It was obvious that something was happening with his feelings, something that some people wished never to happen.

Not just that, but ever since the crimson-eyed boy started following her around, he never mentioned Mikan Sakura again. Whenever Ruka or anyone else brought up the topic of the celebrity, Luna would change the subject almost immediately, not allowing Natsume to answer.

The azure-eyed boy found this suspicious since he was fully aware of how much his best friend loved Mikan. So, to clear his suspicions, the blond haired boy cornered his best friend one day when he was alone, questioning him with questions involving Mikan Sakura. But in reply, the crimson-eyed boy gave him a queer look before heading off to find the blond haired girl, leaving Ruka to stand there alone in shock. In words, Natsume had completely forgotten about ever loving Mikan Sakura.

Of course, thanks to Koko, this fact became well known among their friends, making each and everyone one of them worry with each passing day. In a matter of time, the two of them became a couple, causing uproar in the school grounds.

That was six months ago. Ruka knew that if Mikan ever found out, she would be heartbroken since they had promised to be together even after she had left. But now, it seemed that Natsume had found comfort else where, and it happened to be in the arms of a blonde haired celebrity.

And yet, even though everyone claimed that Natsume cheated on Mikan, Ruka, of all people didn't blame him. Actually, none of his friends did because they knew something else was happening even though they couldn't figure out what.

Something was odd about the Natsume that existed now. Besides the fact that the past Natsume would never cheat on anyone, the raven haired boy had lost that glint in his eye, the one that identifies him. Without that spark, Natsume seemed almost lifeless, like he was a puppet on strings.

Ruka sighed at this thought as he continued to stroke his bunny.

He was currently sitting in the animal shed, supposedly feeding the rabbits their meal. Instead, he just sat there, reminiscing the past year without his best friend.

There was a week until Valentine's Day and then the two girls would come back the following day. What was going to happen?

Sighing once more, he got up and quickly fed the animals. Even though he loved animals and the animals loved him, he just wasn't in the mood. Many things were going through his mind at the moment, his thoughts always ending with 'what ifs'.

He left quickly, stuffing his hands into his pockets to keep them from becoming chilled. He was heading towards his room since he wanted a quiet place to think.

"RUKA." A voice shouted as the azure eyed boy looked at the direction of the voice. It was Koko.

"Hey, Ruka." The messy haired boy said as he tried to catch a couple of breaths. He had ran around the Academy trying to find the azure-eyed boy so he was pretty exhausted.

"Hey." He replied as he waited for the mind reader to calm down.

When he was finally calm, Koko continued. "I just heard from Anna. Mikan's movie is premiering the day before Valentine's day and it's only being premiered at 5 theatres all around the world. And you won't believe it, Alice Cinema has been one of the theatres selected. Anna's already gone to get tickets."

His eyes opened in shock and joy. Even though he had been moping around and worrying about Natsume for the past while, he had been anticipating the movie just like everyone else. well, everyone but Luna and Natsume that is.

"Finally. It's probably Mikan who pulled some strings so it can be premiered here." The blond haired boy stated as they began to walk back together.

Koko nodded, agreeing with him. "Probably."

Suddenly, Ruka realized something. "Wait, is Natsume going to the premier?"

The blond haired boy knew that even Natsume was anticipating this movie before Luna came. A lot of advertisements and other promotional media coverage were posted starting a year ago, sparking the crimson-eyed boy's interest even more. Even though he didn't say anything, it was obvious that he was dead set on watching that movie the first day it came out.

The mind reader's face fell as he looked into the distance. "No. Earlier, I overheard Luna telling Natsume about how unfair it is that Mikan got starred in the movie instead of her. Like the loving 'neko' he is, he agreed with her."

Ruka scrunched his eyebrows in reply, giving his companion a questioning look. "But didn't she debut a month _after _Mikan left for America? The director couldn't possibly hold an audition like that in Japan since every girl would audition and drive the director crazy."

The mind reader gave a small smirk, something that was unusual even for him. "Yeah, I know. Stupid, isn't she?"

"Very." He replied as they continued the rest of the way in silence.

Both had wandering thoughts about how the story would turn out. Will Natsume and Mikan separate for good? Or will she break him of his spell and bring him back? No one knows because only time could tell.

* * *

A week later, the five friends as well as Youichi made their way to the Central Town theatres, where the premier was being held. 

Each and everyone of them were dressed in semi-formal attires. The girls in their dresses and the guys in their button up shirts and newly ironed pants.

Already, there were many people waiting at the theatres, all of them eager to see the movie of the century. It was finally the day they were waiting for.

"Oh, this movie is going to be awesome!!!" The pink haired girl squealed in delight as they entered through the doors.

"Hai, hai!!!" Her boyfriend replied before guiding them to their seats.

Luckily, they had ended up getting front row seats, since Anna had rushed to the cinemas to reserve tickets at the exact moment she heard. It turned out that she was the first one to hear as well as the first one to reserve tickets.

Sitting themselves down, they turned their attention to the giant screen as the lights began to darken.

* * *

On an airplane returning to Japan, a certain brunette sighed. Finally, she could return home. 

It had been one long year, but she did the best to her abilities anyways. Finally, it was over, she could go back to her 'normal' way of life.

Outside, the sky was dark as the aircraft flew up high over the ocean. A few stars were visible as they lured the starlet to sleep. It had been a while since she had a nice sleep and she was dead tired.

Unconsciously, she reached into her pocket, gripping her hand around a small box. _'Natsume, I can finally see you again. Oh, I hope you didn't change.'_

She snapped out of her thoughts when a figure sat down beside her.

"Oh Hotaru." The brunette said as the amethyst eyed girl sat down.

"Here." She replied emotionlessly as she handed her a friend a steaming mug of hot chocolate.

Mikan gave a small smile.

"Arigato." She smiled as she took the cup in her hands and stared out at the night sky once more.

* * *

"That was awesome." The mind reader stated loudly when they stepped out of the theatres. 

Beside him, a pink haired girl smiled back, tear stains visible on her face.

"It was so sad. It felt like I was actually a part of the movie. I feel so sorry for Tsukino, I can't even describe it." Anna agreed as she remembered the movie they had just watched.

"Mikan did an awesome job. She's the best." A midnight blue haired girl retorted as she wiped away some lingering tears from her face.

Concerned, Yuu reached into his pocket and pulled out his handkerchief, helping Nonoko wipe her tears as he looked at her with concern.

Ruka smiled at the sight. It had been a good movie. Even though it was a love story, it wasn't girly at all like some of those other chick flicks. That movie was meant for both genders and that was really hard to do, but somehow, Mikan and Hotaru did it and it paid off greatly. Nearly everyone in the theatres were crying by the end.

Heck, he shed a tear or two as well, even Youichi did. That was how amazing the movie was. No one could do better.

The blond haired boy snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed the gray haired boy yawn.

Smiling, he picked the ten year old up as the group of friends walked to the bus stop. Everyone was very tired for the night but they couldn't be any happier.

* * *

The next morning, Ruka woke up smiling. It was another bright and sunny day, and best of all it was Valentine's Day, the day before his beloved Hotaru came back to his arms. Today seemed like a good day. 

Stretching, he got out of bed and did his usual routine, rushing a bit since he had school and didn't want to be late.

He walked into the classroom, for once smiling and emitting a good aura. Unfortunately, that all disappeared when he noticed the cuddling couple in the back.

His face fell as he walked to his seat, forcing his azure eyes to look away.

Damn, he really needed to do something about this situation, and he better do it quickly since Mikan and them were coming back tomorrow.

He sighed as he racked his brain, trying to think of a plan.

* * *

The bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Without noticing, the azure eyed boy had spent the entire day trying to think of a plan. In the end, he got nothing. 

He sighed in defeat as he got up, gathering his books as his friends approached him.

"Still worried?" The mind reader asked. Obviously, he too hadn't been paying attention in class.

"What do you think?" The blond haired boy muttered.

"You're not the only one worrying. We've all been thinking about it throughout class as well and like you, we got zilch." Yuu reassured as he gave him an understanding face.

Simultaneously, they all sighed as they head out the school entrance, each too engrossed in their thoughts to even notice a limousine pull up right before them.

The door opened, revealing a chocolate eyed girl as she smiled at the sight of her friends.

"Happy Valentine's Day, you guys." Mikan greeted as they all looked at her with shock.

Moments of silence passed before they finally broke it.

"MIKAN!!!" They all yelled at the same time before running up to her.

"I missed you guys so much." The brunette squealed as she hugged each of them. She was so glad to be back.

""I think you've chocked them all to death, idiot" A voice sounded as another figure climbed out of the car.

"HOTARU!!!" They screamed once more.

_**baka baka baka**_

Steam rose from the top of the gun as all their friends laid scattered on the ground.

The amethyst eyed girl sighed in content. Finally, she got to use her baka gun again.

"Ow!!!" Ruka exclaimed as he dazedly got up.

He walked over to his girlfriend and gave her a hug.

"Happy Valentine's Day." He whispered in her ear.

"Happy Valentine's Day." Hotaru whispered back as she stayed in his embrace.

Meanwhile, Mikan took this opportunity to hand out her Valentine's Day gifts, handing over a box o each of her friends.

"Thank you Mikan. Oh, by the way, your movie was awesome, the best I've ever seen." The pink haired girl congratulated as she smiled.

Mikan smiled in return as the rest of her friends nodded in agreement.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she realized something.

"Where's Natsume?" She asked, looking around quizzically. She would have thought that her crimson-eyed boyfriend would be wherever Ruka was, but apparently she was wrong. So where on earth could he be?

Awkward silence passed between the group of friends.

Inside their minds, their thoughts were in turmoil at the mention of the boy but on the outside, their smiles and expressions were fixed like it was stuck on by glue.

"What's wrong with you guys? Oh well, I'm pretty sure he's by the sakura tree. I have something to give him anyways." She gave them all a curious look before pulling a neatly wrapped gift from her pocket.

"Neh, Mikan, why don't we have a sleepover tonight? How about we go get things ready now?" Anna said as she tried to change the topic. She really didn't want Mikan to end up heartbroken.

"Sure, we'll have a sleepover tonight but we can just have everything delivered. Don't you remember that I'm a special star student? Anyways, I'll be going now. I really need to see him. Bye Hotaru." She waved as she ran off towards the sakura tree.

After the brunette was out of earshot, Hotaru faced them with an interrogative look upon her face, her amethyst eyes glinting dangerously.

"Now tell me what's going on?" She ordered as she pointed her baka gun towards them.

Ruka stepped forward, a worried look on his face. "I'll tell you everything after, but for now, we should follow her. I really don't want Mikan to be hurt and we should do everything in our power to prevent this from happening."

The raven haired inventor lowered her gun as they turned and ran in the direction in which Mikan left, each praying with their hearts for Mikan's safety.

* * *

The brunette smiled as she traced the familiar steps towards the sakura tree. 

At the moment, she couldn't be any happier. She was happy enough when she saw her friends so she was even more eager to see her boyfriend. She couldn't wait.

Her smile only grew as the sakura tree came into view. She dashed forward, her brunette hair trailing behind her.

She could already see part of his hair sticking out from the side of the tree. She was right, he was there, just like always.

Finally she reached the back of the tree, jumped in front of her boyfriend and expected a loving welcome. What she got was much worse.

There he was, asleep and as innocent looking as he was before she left. His raven hair blew lightly in the wind as he laid asleep motionless. Beside him, was a blond haired girl who was also fast asleep on his shoulder. His arms were wrapped around her waist as they both slept on, unaware of her presence at the moment.

"Natsume." She murmured through shocked and wide eyes before dropping her gift to the floor.

The clatter of the box shook the couple awake as the girl stared at her wide-eyed and the raven haired boy peered at her emotionlessly. They stayed in their position.

"Natsume, how could you? I thought you loved me." She murmured as the first of many tears rolled down her cheeks.

That was the exact moment their friends arrived, each shocked by the sight. Hotaru stared at the couple angrily and silently, already seething with anger. How could he do this to her?

Moments of silence passed before Mikan finally broke it, her world tumbling around her.

"NATSUME, YOU IDIOT!!!" She screamed as loud as she could, unconsciously activating her Nullification Alice.

A wave of power reached him, suddenly bringing back the glint that was once lost in his eyes.

"Mikan." He whispered before looking around him. He had no idea what was going on.

He looked beside him, finally noticing the girl he was holding by the waist.

"What the hell?" He yelled, pushing her away and giving her his infamous death glare.

He looked up at the brunette, his crimson eyes wide with shock. "I don't know her."

MIkan looked down, her bangs covering her eyes. More tears began to spill down as she stood there in silence.

Finally she spoke, her voice having trouble forming her words before forming angry words. "I c-come b-back here w-wanting to see you after I haven't had c-contact with you for a y-year and l-look what greets me? H-How could you do this, Natsume? I even came back a day early for you and I see you cuddling some other girl while you sleep. And now, you're pretending you don't know her?!? How low can you go?"

The brunette turned on her heel, not giving a chance for Natsume to protest.

"Happy Valentine's Day." She snarled before she ran out of sight, tears flowing down her cheeks.

Her friends peered down at the confused Natsume. They knew that he wasn't at fault but they couldn't help but feel disappointed in him.

Shaking her head in disappointment, the pink haired girl glanced at the raven haired boy with saddened eyes before following the Mikan's footsteps, Nonoko behind her as well.

The amethyst eyed girl gave him a cold, hard glare before stalking off, followed by Koko and Yuu, who gave him the same look as their girlfriends.

The last to leave was none other than Ruka, who looked at his best friend with sadness and concern before turning on his heel too, leaving the broken couple in silence.

Meanwhile, Luna was secretly smiling. Finally, she had beaten Mikan Sakura. She finally had something the brunette didn't have. The blond haired girl couldn't be any more proud of her handiwork. She was completely satisfied with the turnouts of the situation she created. Now all she needed to do was to keep Natsume under her spell.

The raven haired boy stared at the spot where Mikan once was, feeling the soft caress of the wind as it brushed his cheeks. Did what he feared would happen actually happened?

Sure, he admit that he has had no self consciousness for the past couple of months but that doesn't mean that he was unaware. He knew what was happening and he knew the events that led up to this. He just didn't have the willpower to stop the events. It was like a movie playing before his eyes, there was no way to stop it.

His crimson eyes fell to the floor as he noticed the dropped gift. It was also around this time that he heard the laughter of the scheming girl beside him.

His eyes shot her another death glare before he stood up, picked up the present and headed back to the dormitories.

At the moment, he really needed to think.

The blond haired girl smirked as she observed the retreating figure.

Things were just getting started.

* * *

The raven haired boy drew back his curtains, giving him a full view of the newly fallen night. 

Sighing and lost in his thoughts, he turned on his bedside lamp and picked up the gift next to it.

In his hands, he held a small pink velvet jewelry box. It was neatly wrapped with a crimson ribbon, forming a cute bow at the top of the box.

Regretfully, Natsume slowly loosened the ribbon, admiring the silky texture of the ribbon. He opened the box, his eyes wide with surprise at the gift.

Inside the box was a pendant carved into a small flame, symbolizing Natsume's fire Alice. The stone that was carved was of a milky stone of a creamy texture, glinting in the dim light of the lamp.

Upon first impression, anyone would have thought that the stone was an expensive pearl but as the raven haired boy touched it, he felt a wave of calmness wash over him.

Curious about his theory, he tried to create a small flame at his finger tips, which should have been no problem for him. As expected, nothing happened, concluding Natsume's thoughts that the pendant was carved out of the brunette's Alice stone of Nullification.

He thought back to Luna's Alice. If what he had observed in the past months was correct, then that Luna girl would surely go after him again. To him, it was dead obvious that Luna Koizumi was trying to beat Mikan Sakura, in stardom and in life.

He closed the jewelry box and placed it back on the table before heading to the washroom, staring at the image that reflected off the mirror.

He needed to apologize to her tomorrow as well as explain everything thing to her. He knew she would understand if she gave him a chance, but that was the problem, would the brunette give him a chance? She could be as stubborn as a mule sometimes and the only way that could get her to listen was through someone she trusts. Obviously, this was going to be a problem.

He sighed before preparing for bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

* * *

Mikan Sakura collapsed on her bed, her chocolate brown hair scattering everywhere as her body shuddered terribly, causing the tears on her face to stream down faster than it should. 

Who knew that on the day she came back to the big bed she missed, she would be crying on it instead while pitying herself about her broken heart. Stupid Natsume.

More tears rolled down her cheeks at the thought of Natsume. After what seemed like hours, she finally got up, revealing her tear stained face, her pillow drenched with salty stains.

Even if she didn't want to, she knew that she had to move and get ready for bed. Tomorrow was a school day after all, and she knew she had to be ready.

She pulled herself to the washroom, still feeling sorry for herself as well as sorry for her friends.

Before, when she had rushed off, all her friends followed, each trying to comfort her in their own way, even Hotaru. But they only ended up being locked out of her room as they stood outside her door, wondering what they should do. In the end, just as she wished, she was left in peace.

How could Natsume do this to her? He promised!!! He promised to wait for her until she came back and now look what happens. He decided to cheat on her with some other girl when he thought he wouldn't get caught. She even did her best for him while she was in America. All those hints in the media throughout the year, he was her inspiration with each passing day. He was the reason why she wanted time to pass quicker so she could return home. How dare he?!?

She climbed into bed, having done her nightly routine as quickly as possible. Now, she was drowning in rage and sadness. How could the same person feel such contrasting emotions?

She fell asleep in moments, a tear rolling down her cheek as she submitted to her unconsciousness.

* * *

The next morning, the sky was a cloudy day, reflecting the feelings of Mikan's heart. But even though she was heartbroken, she started the day being as cheerful as always, of course with a few exceptions. 

As expected, the moment she walked through the doors of the school, the Mikan Sakura Fan club was revived as many boys began resign from the Luna Koizumi fan club, much to the blonde's disappointment. Boys, as well as girls greeted the celebrity from all around, crowding her with questions and greetings all at the same time.

Ruka, who was still her bodyguard, directed the students back to their seats, the brunette making her way to her seat, the one which just happened to be situated right next to a certain raven-haired boy.

Yes, he was already in the classroom since early in the morning and he was fully aware of the crowd of boys when the brunette entered, having forced himself back from protecting her or else endangering the situation even further.

This morning, he had received a letter at his door, informing him that Mikan Sakura no longer required the service of Natsume Hyuuga. In other words, they were through. The famous Natsume Hyuuga were fired and dumped at the same time and on a very early in the morning as well. So even if he wanted to protect her, he couldn't, not unless he wanted to ruin her trust for him even further.

"Ohayo Natsume-kun." A voice sounded, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He tried to turn to face the voice but before he could, a blond haired girl of whom the voice belonged to lunged herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he tried to shake her off. Unfortunately, it was a lot harder than it seemed.

The blonde haired girl shot a quiet death glare to the brunette girl beside him, who had been watching the whole time. Mikan stared back at her with an apathetic look, even though inside she was burning with jealousy.

The look she gave in return sparked the blonde's anger even more. Didn't she care that her boyfriend was being taken away from her? That now, she had the hottest boy in the entire school at his knees before her. How dare that Mikan Sakura react that way towards her. It would only be a matter of time before she surpassed her anyways.

The smell of smoke brought her out of her thoughts as she jumped back, trying to put the fire out that had started on her head.

Fortunately for her, one of her fan boys that did stay poured a bucket of water on her yet at the same time drenching her clothes and ruining her make up.

The busy classroom halted as all students turned to face the commotion, each staring in disbelief while some stared in disgust. It wasn't that she wasn't pretty, it was just the fact that the blonde wore A LOT of make up and when heavy make up is ruined, everything goes downhill no matter how spectacular you really are.

Luna screamed, filling the entire room with the high decibels of her voice.

"HOW COULD YOU?! DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO I AM, KID? I AM LUNA KOIZUMI AND I DESERVE TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT. HOW DARE YOU?! YOU'LL REGRET POURING THAT BUCKET OF WATER OVER ME!!!" She continued to scream at the fan boy as he cowered away in fear.

"You know, you shouldn't be so self centered. One day, everything you tried to build through that attitude will melt away right before your eyes." A brunette advised as she got up from her seat and headed for the fan boy.

The midnight blue eyed girl growled through her messed make up, which was beginning to harden with time.

"Shouldn't you advise that little piece of info to yourself, you conceited wench." Luna said confidently.

Many students from all around began to grow with rage at this comment. Even the rest of Luna Koizumi's fans glared a little, because deep down inside, they were all Mikan Sakura fans, it just that Luna Koizumi seemed nicer before. Guess they were wrong.

Mikan bent down to the fan boy and helped him stand up, offering him a kind smile.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her voice filled with concern.

The boy looked away blushing while still trembling with slight fear.

"Y-Yes, t-thank you Sakura-sama." He replied, stuttering.

"Please, just call me Mikan." She said, smiling kindly once more and making the boy blush.

"H-Hai Mikan-san." He said quietly before dashing out of the room in embarrassment.

Moments of silence passed before Mikan redirected her attention to the now seething Luna Koizumi.

"You know, you really should control your temper." The brunette provoked while giving off a small smirk.

"Now look here. I don't care how big of a celebrity you are, Sakura. But be warned, I will beat you eventually and then you will bow down to me. You can't compare to me because in the end you are just another one of those desperate, wannabe bi-"the blonde haired pointed an accusing finger at her before she was cut off.

"Don't you dare say anything else, Luna Koizumi. You have no right to call Mikan-sama those filthy names. Actually, you should call yourself that since those words fit you perfectly. Another thing, you will never beat Mikan Sakura since she is way out of your league. So back off, you slut." The Mikan Sakura fan club president shouted in a dangerous tone as many others nodded their heads in agreement.

"Do you know who I am?!? How dare you speak to me that way, you ugly boy." The blonde haired brat spat back in a vile tone.

That was the moment Mikan chose to step in, catching the attention of everyone in the class as they all turned to her.

"That's enough, Koizumi-san. I will not let you insult our fellow classmates like that any further. I don't know what I did to you, Koizumi-san since I just met you the day before. If this is about Hyuuga, then you can have him. I don't care anymore." The brunette strongly stated, holding her head high.

Luna stomped hard before heading towards the door.

"You'll regret the day you met me Mikan Sakura." She threatened before finally leaving.

Everyone within the classroom sighed in relief at the exit of the evil princess.

In the back, a certain raven haired boy cringed at the sound of his name. She hasn't called him "Hyuuga" since the day of the Alice festival and that was when they first met as the celebrity Mikan.

His thoughts turned to his plans of explaining to Mikan about what happed the day before. His hopes shattered as he finally realized how hard of a task it will be. Regaining Mikan Sakura's trust was definitely no picnic.

He snapped out of his thoughts as he noticed the brunette leaving the classroom as well.

Instinctively, he got out of his seat and followed, receiving a few glares from fan club members as they finally pieced together what happened between the trio.

In the hallway, the starlet headed towards the rooftop, unaware of the presence that was following her.

Opening the door, she stepped outside, feeling the slight breeze waft all around her.

She walked to the railing, heaving a gigantic sigh before leaning forward, her eyes seeking comfort from the view before her.

"Polka-dots." A voice said, snapping the brunette out of her thoughts.

Turning around, she stared into a pair of intense, crimson eyes.

"What do you want?" She asked, her anger flaring up.

"What do you think, stupid. I want to explain to you about yesterday. Plus, I think you owe me an apology about misunderstanding the situation." He said, stepping forward so that now he was also leaning against the railing.

Mikan gave him a heated glare. "Excuse-me? Why should I apologize? What in damnation can you explain? How can you explain the fact that after a year away from you, I come back to find you cuddling some other girl in broad daylight?"

Natsume looked away as silence settled between them. It was Mikan who finally broke it, her patience snapping at the lack of sound.

"You know what?!? I don't even want to hear it!!! I don't even wanted to hear about you cheating love life. I'm leaving!!!" She shouted angrily at him as she headed for the door.

She threw one last glare at him before running off, leaving even more silence to settle around him.

He looked at the sky. What did he do now?

* * *

Sobs could be heard throughout the room as a certain brunette drowned in her sorrow. Lost in her thoughts, her mind played random images of her and Natsume in the past, when they were actually happy. 

Was there something wrong with her that made him do such a despicable act? Was it because she was away and put her career first that caused Natsume to cheat on her? Couldn't someone just tell her? Why did God have to be so cruel sometimes and cause grief like this? Or did she do something wrong in the past that caused them to be like this?

'_Maybe I should have never left, then Natsume and I would still be together.' _She thought as the last her tears rolled onto her pillow.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Arigato for reading minna-san. Sorry for the late update. School has been hell since the beginning of March because of report card deadlines. The good thing, it's finally Spring break so I will type as fast as I can. Oh and here are some comments, and questions that I want to reply to. **

**funny sakura: Yes, it is quite obvious about what will happen but there will be a couple of twists. Of course, I'm not going to tell you because you'll find out anyways. But if you do end up guessing about how this situation will end and I'd advise you to open a fortune-telling shopbecause I can guarantee you'll be rich. Good luck with that if you do go down that path, tee hee. **

**comicworm: AHH!!! MY HANDS!!! MY POOR HANDS!!! No wonder it took so long for me to update. At this moment, I'm typing this with my tongue. :P- I can't believe I'm using these keyboard faces. **

**Angelz-Devilz: Okay, OCC, OC, and OOC all mean Out Of Character. These three "names" all mean the same thing, it's just that people didn't check when they were typing and OOC turned into OC and OCC. Of course, this is what I concluded from the numerous amount of fics that contain OCC's so if I happen to be wrong, correct me instead of allowing me to live on like a fool, although that might already be too late as my friends say. **

**Also, I looked back when I first started this fic and noticed that my writing has "evolved". Either I'm getting comfortable writing fanfics or English class actually helps. Anways, what I want to know is that, is this bothering you people? Are my sentences and stuff getting confusing and too long for its own good? Please tell me, I've been wondering this for quite a while and now, I'm dying to know. Okay, that's all I have to type. Once more, arigato for reading and I hope you enjoyed yourself. Comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns are more than welcome. **


	28. Chapter 28

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!**_

By the next day, word had spread throughout the entire Academy about Natsume cheating on Mikan including about how she found out and broke up with him. 

Even as he stalked through the halls to his first morning class, he could feel the heated glares trying to burn holes through his back. Unfortunately for them, his glare was much worse as he turned around and sent chills down every student's spine. As if he could be torn down by some measly rumor. He casually walked into the classroom, unaffected by the glares and cold shoulders of his classmates as well. 

He headed to his seat, but as he walked, he noticed his brunette ex-girlfriend sitting next to Hotaru, her books about and out of her bag. 

He frowned silently at the sight, aware of the fact that the starlet had switched spots just to avoid him. 

Obviously unhappy with the situation, he decided to take a detour as he headed to where the brunette was seated. 

Whatever she was giggling about before, he didn't know, for the moment she sensed his presence, her chocolate brown eyes turned to him with a frown on her face. 

"What do you want, Hyuuga?" She asked rather coldly. It was quite obvious she still hasn't forgiven him yet. 

Like the day before, he winced at the sound of his name, except this time noticed by the brunette who gave a small but proud smirk at the reaction. 

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked, trying to act as unaffected as possible. Yet, he couldn't mask the anger and disappointment in his voice. 

"Why, I am at my seat." She stated nonchalantly, giving him the most innocent look she could muster. 

"No, your seat is over there." Natsume directed in return, pointing towards Mikan's former desk. 

"And now, it's over here." She finished smartly. 

The crimson-eyed boy gave a small growl while thinking of a plan. Damn, she had him cornered just like that time with Persona. How does she do that?

Failing to come up with an idea, he did the next best thing that was most expected from a boy who's angry. 

His hands lashed out and grabbed the brunette's arm, catching the attentions of many students in the room as they rose from their seats. 

Dragging the starlet back to her former seat, the raven-haired boy glared at all that stared, even those who were just wondering what was going on. 

Mikan, on the other hand, struggled against his hold, giving Natsume a harder time than it already was. Finally, with one last struggle, she pulled free, causing Natsume to turn around in a moment's notice. 

"What is wrong with you?" She asked, trying to control the volume of her voice. 

"I decide who sits next to me, and that includes when you can move away." His crimson stared deeply into her chocolate brown ones as he tried to reach out for her once again. 

Unfortunately for him, she pulled back at the last second, taking a step back as well. 

"You don't control me and I'm definitely not one of those girls who need to ask permission before switching seats, especially from her _ex-_boyfriend." She said sharply, emphasizing the "ex". 

The brunette turned angrily on her heel, determined to get back to her new seat. But before she could, his hand reached out for a third time, except this time it was different. 

She turned around, surprised by the sudden change of mood. 

Natsume just stood there, his hand around her small wrist as it just stayed there, suspended in the air by the couple. All the anger, which was in him before, dissipated, not even leaving a single trace. 

He bent his head, hiding his eyes with the hair that fell over his forehead.

"Mikan." He whispered, only loud enough for the brunette to hear. 

She gave a sharp intake of air at the sound of her name, bringing back a familiar sensation from a year ago. 

"Natsume." She whispered unconsciously. 

At the moment, she had the urge to embrace and just put the past behind her but she knew she couldn't. How could she? It just wasn't possible. No matter how much she loved him, it didn't change the fact that he cheated on her. If she just forgave him right then and there it just would not be fair and her conscience would kick her dead with regret and suspicion. 

"Come back." He continued while still whispering, snapping Mikan back to reality. 

Her chocolate brown eyes wavered to the ground as he raised his head, revealing his crimson eyes that were now filled with sorrow and desperation. 

"I'm sorry, Natsume." She whispered in return before breaking her wrist free from his and returning to her seat. 

This time, he let her. 

Heaving a frustrated sigh, he finally headed to his seat, emitting an aura warning people not to approach him. 

As he sat down at his desk, he pulled out his manga and pretended to read. In reality, he was still sulking from being turned down in front of the entire class. 

"Good morning, Natsume-kun." A familiar voice called out to him as Natsume's sadness turned into anger and disgust. 

When will this girl ever leave him alone. He turned around and was about to tell her to leave when he noticed that she had ALL her books with her. 

He glared as the blonde made her way to the empty seat next to him. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He growled as he gave her the deadliest glare ever. 

She gave him a knowing smile before answering. 

"What do you think, silly? I'm moving to this seat now. I heard from some students that Sakura has moved out so I decided to move in." She said, applying extra honey to her voice. 

"How about me? I as sure as hell did not give you permission to sit here so move back next to the other hag and leave me alone." He ordered. 

"I don't think so, Natsume." She said as she leaned in. 

Closing the distance between them, she stopped until he was staring directly into her eyes, giving him a manipulative smile now. 

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He said, using the foulest tone he could. 

"Just look into my eyes, Natsume and relax. Now, why don't you tell me that you would love for me to sit next to you." She commanded as a weird glint sparkled in her midnight blue eyes. 

But unlike last time where his face fell stoic, he smirked before pushing the girl away. 

Luna fell to the floor with a thump, landing on her butt as she stared at him with confusion. Why hadn't her Alice worked? 

He got up from his seat and bent down close to her. 

"You may have had me last time but I never fall for the same trick twice. Now get your stuff and go back to your damned seat before I burn it all." He threatened in a very dangerous voice. 

The blonde couldn't help but shudder at his choice of words as she nodded shakily. 

He returned to his seat as she picked up her things, running away as fast as she could, for once afraid of the kuro neko. 

The crimson-eyed boy glared at her retreating figure before a hand flew to the hidden pendant under his clothes. 

From the outside, no one could even tell that he was even wearing a necklace and that was exactly what he wanted. 

In his mind, he secretly thanked the brunette for dropping her gift instead of retrieving it. The pendant solved a major problem but now, how would he solve the other two? How would he win back the starlet and how would he get rid of that hag?

He snapped out of his thoughts as the door opened once more, revealing their first class teacher, which also turned out to be their homeroom teacher. 

"Ohayo, minna-san." The blonde haired teacher greeted excitedly. 

Not waiting for a response, he continued. 

"One week from now, there will be a special talent show for this year's graduates. It's completely voluntary but I do have to warn you that the judges are all professionals, so if you end up signing up, I'd advise you to practice hard. You don't have to show off your Alice and your act can be completely unrelated and totally random. Any questions?" He asked as his violet eyes peered around the room. 

Moments passed but no one raised their hand. Smiling, Narumi-sensei started their lesson. 

"Now, how about we flip to page 229." He stated as many students pulled out their textbooks. 

"Tch." Natsume muttered under his breath as he tuned out for the rest of the class.

* * *

As the students made their way to the cafeteria for lunch, Natsume stayed behind, his eyes searching for a certain brunette. 

Failing to do so, he decided to head to the cafeteria as well. Where else would she be? 

He entered the cafeteria, welcomed by the familiar glares from the students all around. As expected, he glared in return. 

He spotted the brunette at her usual spot as he headed directly for her, this time determined to make her listen. 

"Oi Polka dots." He called out. 

But just before Mikan turned around, a certain blonde launched herself at him once more, holding onto his arm as she squealed. 

"Oh, Natsume-kun. You're so sweet." She said as she peered at him with "love" filled eyes as the honey returned at full force to her voice. 

Meanwhile, Mikan, who just happened to turn around as Luna latched on, stared in disgust at the couple. But even though she appeared to be disgusted, inside, she was filled with anger and jealousy. 

Angry at Natsume for appearing in front of her with a girl on his arm when he should know better and jealous because she still loved him. Then again, as if she would let it show. 

"Oh, go get a room, you two." Mikan greeted as she rolled her eyes. 

"Damn! Get the hell off me." The crimson-eyed boy commanded as he succeeded in shaking her off. 

Luna stumbled, faking innocence as tears sprouted from her eyes. 

"Natsume-kun, why do you treat me like this now? What do you see in her that you don't see in me?" She said, gathering the looks from a great number of students. 

Silence passed throughout the cafeteria as everyone waited for a reply from the raven-haired boy. 

Mikan quirked an eyebrow as she also waited for an answer. If he really did want her back then there was only one type of answer, whether he was in love or not. 

"Do I really have to answer that?" He murmured so it was only loud enough for the two girls to hear. 

Natsume looked up at the blonde haired girl and glared sharply, this time speaking louder so it was loud enough for everyone to hear. "You're annoying. Leave me alone from now on." 

More tears appeared in Luna's eyes as she took a step back, feigning a broken heart. But on the inside, she smirked. 

Things were just going as she planned. Now all she had to do was give it one last push.

"But Natsume, I thought you loved me." She cried out loudly. 

He glared even more. "Who said that? I never did, don't and never will love you or even come close to it." 

"But what can she do that I can't? I know that she's prettier than I am and that she's a better celebrity but I took it one step further that what she ever did." Luna confessed. 

Gasps from all around could be heard as Mikan just stood there in shock. Did Luna mean what she just said?

"I gave you everything that you asked for and now you turn me down. How could you be so cruel, Natsume?" The blonde continued to cry as she collapsed to the floor. 

The crimson-eyed boy stood there, drowning in his own shock. He couldn't believe what she just said. How could she make up such a lie? Nothing of that sort even happened between them. Plus, how could he ask her anything? He had no control over his body. 

Suddenly, his head snapped towards the brunette, wondering if she actually believed that lie. 

"Natsume, how could you?" She whispered, her head bent so that her brunette bangs were hiding her eyes. 

More silence passed as everyone continued to watch, most still shocked by the confession of the blonde. 

Swiftly, Mikan got up from her seat and grabbed her bag. Her bangs were still covering her eyes so it was hard to tell her expression but it was made obvious as everyone noticed the thin line set upon her lips. 

She walked towards, making him curious about what she would do. What she did was completely unexpected. 

She slapped him, quick and hard, sending him flying a few steps back. No one saw what happened but they could automatically tell by the sound of it as well as the imprint left on the fire caster's cheek. 

Not even waiting for a response, she looked at him with disappointed and angry eyes before turning on her heel, facing her best friend. 

"Tell the teacher I wasn't feeling to well." She said, her voice cracking with each word. It was obvious that she was holding back tears. 

The starlet ran out of the cafeteria, students from all around clearing a pathway for her as they gave her sad and pitying looks. No one wanted to be in her position right now. 

Silence settled once again the raven-haired boy stared in shock at where the brunette once was. Yes, the slap had hurt like hell but that wasn't the thing that was tearing him apart at the moment. It was the look she gave him before she left. The disappointment that was clearly visible in her eyes at the time. It seemed to cut through him worse than the anger. 

Meanwhile, the blonde, who had witnessed the whole ordeal, gave a satisfied smirk. Everything had went according to plan. Mikan Sakura was down for the count and there wasn't a thing she could do about it. That slap had declared her victory and it was only a matter of time before she rose to the top and officially beat that bitch. 

Everything stayed quiet before the raven-haired boy started to move again. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he headed to the door, a dangerous look upon his face as he glared at all who stared. 

Once he left, the students resumed their lunch break, this time fueled by the commotion that just happened. 

Luna headed out of the cafeteria as well, saying that she had to go to the washroom to clean herself up. 

"Neh, Hotaru. Don't you think this had gone on long enough?" A pink haired girl asked the amethyst-eyed blackmailer. 

The raven-haired girl looked up and shook her head. "No. Hyuuga needs to find a way out of this by himself. Besides, I don't care if he was being controlled, I can't forgive him after that little confession." 

Sadness filled everyone's eyes at the mention of that. Everyone, except a certain mind reader. 

"Actually, that part is a complete lie." He stated as the six friends looked up. "I read Luna's mind just now and I found out that she only said that so she could push Mikan over the edge or something like that. Nothing of that sort even happened between them." He confirmed as their faces lightened up. 

"So, Natsume is completely innocent, right?" An azure-eyed boy asked with hope in his voice. 

The mind reader gave a reassuring smile before answering. "As ironic as that sounds, yes, Natsume is completely innocent." 

"You're sick, Koko but that is great. Now, we really should tell Mikan before this gets out of hand and we all regret this." Anna suggested, this time with a smile on her face as well. 

Hotaru thought for a moment before heaving a sigh. "Fine. But we should give her some time to calm down. We'll go after class." 

All of their friends smiled, with the exception of one even though she was still happy. Hopefully by the end of the day, this entire mess will be solved and everything would be back to the way it should. 

* * *

After class, Youichi, Hotaru, Anna, Nonoko, Ruka, Yuu and Koko decided to meet in front of Hotaru's room since there was a door connecting to Mikan's room. 

Mentally preparing themselves, they stepped into the brunette's living quarters, which were still as grand as ever. 

They searched throughout the place, each failing to find the brunette. Finally, they stopped in front of her office, the last place that they didn't check yet. 

The raven-haired girl pulled out her spare key and unlocked the office door, letting her friends into the brunette's office. 

Sun was shining through the window as the friends looked around the room. Nope, no Mikan. 

Suddenly, they all turned towards the theatre door as they began to hear music. 

Yuu turned the knob, allowing everyone to enter the familiar room. 

On stage was the brunette, herself, who stood there in front of the mike, holding a bass. The spotlights were on her and her eyes were closed so she didn't notice her visitors. 

The seven friends stood there and listened, drowning in the feelings emanating from the music. 

_**She asked if you could stay  
did ya think about me when  
you almost turned away  
did you think about me when  
you picked up the phone  
should have let it keep ringing  
And made it seem like everything  
was the same as it had always been **_

**_Did ya think about me being half awake and crying,  
Lying on the floor and waiting for the break of day  
Didn't think about tearing me apart,  
At any moment in the night you could have tried to make it right.  
why, why, why?_**

**_Now in an after thought  
were you thinking about me  
Don't know what you did it for  
Cause you were thinking about you, so  
you want me to believe  
you were thinking about me  
It isn't hard for me to see you didn't stop for anything_**

**_How bout me being half awake and crying  
Lying on the floor and waiting for the break of day  
Didn't think about tearing me apart,  
At any moment in the night you could have tried to make it right._**

**_Give me one good reason why in time I should believe in you  
you had me, you had it, everything  
So close your eyes and remember all those lies  
that you never say when you pretend that you  
will be with me again_**

**_Did ya think about me being half awake and crying,Lying on the floor and waiting for the break of day  
Didn't think about tearing me apart,  
At any moment in the night you could have tried to make it right.  
why, why, why?_**

**_Did ya think about me being half awake and crying,  
Lying on the floor and waiting for the break of day  
Didn't think about tearing me apart,  
At any moment in the night you could have tried to make it right.  
why, why, why?_**

Moments of silence passed before the brunette opened her eyes, finally aware of her audience who just stood by the door and watched in awe. 

"Hey guys, why are you here?" The brunette greeted with a small smile. 

"Mikan, that was awesome." Anna squealed as stars began to sparkle in her eyes. 

"Thanks." She said, giving the pink haired girl a small smile before placing her instrument back in its place. Mikan headed towards them and guided them out of her office as they all filed into the brunette's living room. 

The starlet smiled as she came in last, carrying a batch of cookies and tea. 

"Eat up, you guys." She said as she passed the food around. 

Moments of silence passed as everyone munched their on their food, each savoring the sweet sensation of the pastry. 

"So, what brings you guys here?" She asked, reminding everyone about why they were there in the first place. 

Swallowing, the midnight blue haired girl peered at Mikan with concerned filled eyes. 

"Are you okay?" She asked cautiously. 

"Nope, I'm still as mad as ever but I'm not the kind to lash out like Koizumi so you don't need to worry." The brunette reassured before taking another bite into her cookie. 

"Actually, Mikan, we have a confession about Natsume." Their class president started as he put down his teacup. 

The brunette gave him a questioning look but he continued anyways, clearing things up. 

"You see, two months after you left, Koizumi-san came and then the day after that was when Natsume started to act weird. He wouldn't communicate with us anymore unless it was absolutely necessary and he was always following Koizumi-san around like a pet." He stopped as an azure eyed boy continued. 

"And that's not all, whenever you came up in our conversation, Koizumi-san would change the topic. I found this weird so I personally cornered Natsume one day after class. That was when we discovered that he had completely forgotten about you." His eyes showed sorrow as the brunette gave a sharp intake of breath, her eyes growing wide.

"But none of this is Natsume's fault. It was all that Luna girl's fault. Her Alice is Soul Entrapping. In other words, it's manipulation. There was no way he could have escaped when she activated her Alice. Also, none of that stuff in the cafeteria was true, it's all a lie that Luna made up to push you over the edge. Apparently, she's jealous of you and think she's better." The mind reader finished as Mikan absorbed all the information in. 

The brunette gave a sigh of relief as the information slowly sank in. 

"Well, I guess I can't produce that song then." She said, peering at the ceiling. 

"Don't worry, even if you wanted to, I wouldn't have let you. Think about what it would do to your reputation. The media would be blaring headlines like 'What kind of idiot would cheat on the Mikan Sakura' or something like that and then there would be this entire search for whoever this lover boy is. Plus, you and I will be drowned by the amount of questions from the annoying paparazzi and I am definitely not willing to go through that." The amethyst eyed manager scoffed. 

Mikan thought for a moment. "Oh, I never thought of that." 

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "Idiot." She claimed under her breath. 

The brunette pouted at her friend before being interrupted by Anna. 

"So, are you going to make up with Natsume?" She asked eagerly. 

Everyone waited patiently as the brunette gave a sad smile. 

"No." she confirmed, breaking the hope of her friends. 

"Why? Don't you love onii-chan?" Youichi asked, climbing onto Mikan's lap.

The brunette gave him a loving smile before answering. 

"Yes, I still love Natsume but in the end he was the one who cheated on me. I'm happy that he didn't want that to happen but that doesn't change the fact that I'm hurt. If he really wants me, he'll come to me and fight to get me back. Until then, I'll just have to wait." Mikan patted the gray haired boy's head as he looked up with respect sparkling in his eyes. 

Meanwhile, two of her friends began to weep, one consisting of pink hair while the other contrasted in midnight blue. Like Youichi, they also peered at her with respect. 

"Oh Mikan. That's so touching." Nonoko sobbed as Anna nodded in agreement. 

Both their boyfriends turned towards them comforted them to the best of their abilities. 

"Wow, it's getting late." Ruka suddenly said, getting up. 

Everyone turned towards the clock, noticing that it was dinnertime. 

"Come on, let's go get some food." The brunette suggested as they made their way down to the cafeteria, each rest assured by the day's progress.

* * *

That night, Mikan laid in bed thinking of what her friends had told her that afternoon. Smiling at the replay of her memories, she rolled over. 

'_Natsume, please do the right thing.'_ She prayed before drifting off to sleep. 

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Arigato for reading, minna-san. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter as much as the rest. **

**Oh yeah, I read the reviews regarding the OC thing and now I'm confused. What does it mean? Geez, why don't they have a dictionary for these sort of things? Anyways, if you know for sure, tell me or else I will be confused for the rest of my life. **

**comicworm: You know, if you keep chopping off my limbs, by the end of this fic all I will have is my head. And I am definitely not going to be happy about that.**

**cute18386: Um . . .I'm not going to tell you when this story ends but when it does ends, but I dointend to tell you all the chapter before. So . . . . .yeah . . . . By the way, I know you were typing this but you seemed really enthusiastic about your question and I can't tell whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. :)**

**Like I promised, I am updating as quick as I can and I promise to continue to do so, at least until Spring Break ends. Anyways, arigato for reading and have a nice day- man, I sound like some cashier at a fast food restaurant. Would you like fries with that:P **

**DON'T READ DON'T READ DON'T READ DON'T READ DON'T READ DON'T READ DON'T READ**

**Also, if you didn't understand what Luna meant with her little confession because you're still very innocent then Luna was saying that she and Natsume did it. And if you still don't get that, then she's saying that they slept in one bed and if you still don't get that, then you are overdue on that little conversation with your parents. I know I'm being a little perverted right now, but bear with me. I'm sixteen and I still have friends that don't know about his stuff so that's why I'm telling you. Besides, I warned you. :)**

**NOW READ NOW READ NOW READ NOW READ NOW READ NOW READ NOW READ NOW READ**

**Once more, arigato for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Comments, questions, thoughts and concerns are more than welcome. **


	29. Chapter 29

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!**_

Taking a deep breath, she mentally kicked herself to full alert, reminding herself. 

'_Remember, Mikan. Act like he really did cheat on you. Act like you did before you even knew about what really happened and don't drop a single hint that you know. Don't overdo it either.' _

The brunette gave one last sigh before pushing open the classroom door, putting her usual smile on her face, and greeting her fellow classmates. 

"Ohayo, Hotaru." She greeted rather loudly. 

_**baka baka baka**_

Dropping to the floor with a thud, the starlet got up and rubbed her head where she was hit. Apparently, the baka gun had hurt more than the floor, though that was expected. 

"Hotaru, why did you do that?" She pouted as she walked up to her again. 

The amethyst eyed inventor looked up at her and shrugged. "I have to make up for all those times I didn't hit you while you were filming. I'm behind on schedule." 

"Y-You have a schedule?" Mikan asked, slightly shuddering in fear. 

"Of course, who wouldn't?" Hotaru replied, as if stating the most obvious thing in the world.

"Eh . . ." Was all the brunette said as she sweat dropped at her best friend's retort. 

"Please Koko. Just one sip." A pink haired girl begged her boyfriend as she caught the attention of the two friends. 

The mind reader shook his head. "Hell, no. I love you and everything but I read your mind so I know what will happen if it goes wrong." 

Anna pouted. "Oh, how many times do I have to tell you not to read my mind. But still, please. Plus, the success rate of the tea is 51 percent. You're still in the safe zone." 

Koko took a step back as Anna held him back. "Safe zone my butt. It's only 2 percent away from failure. Since you already asked everyone, why don't you ask Mikan. I'm pretty sure she'll be willing." 

"Are you crazy? If this potion does fail then what will Mikan-chan do? She has to work and everything and you know Hotaru will have my head if anything interferes with Mikan's career." The pink haired girl shuddered at the thought, allowing her boyfriend to break free. 

"So, you're willing to sacrifice me?! Anna, how could you? I'm your boyfriend!!" He declared loudly. 

Anna approached him, giving the most innocent smile she could muster yet surrounded by a _very_ manipulative aura. "Yes, my _dear_ Koko, that's why you should help out your girlfriend when she's in a dilemma." 

"I'll help out anytime, except when I have to be your guinea pig. That will not happen." Koko stood strong as Anna continued to approach him until her lips were just at his ear. 

Whatever Anna whispered, it seemed to have worked because moments later, Koko's face turned beat red. 

"Fine. But if something happens, you're in big trouble." The mind reader gave in as he walked towards the teacup upon a table. 

Picking it up, he gulped, looking at the harmless tea while Anna danced cheerfully in the background. 

"Now, drink it up. Or else, you know what." The pink haired girl said rather cheerfully. 

"Fine, here goes." Koko said before drinking his tea. 

Anna watched with anticipation as her obedient boyfriend finished the cup of tea. 

"So, how was it?" She asked eagerly. 

"Actually, it was quite good." The mind reader admitted, swallowing the last sip of tea. 

"Yes." She cheered.

"Hai, hai, Anna-chan. Calm down." Koko said, sweat dropping at the sudden burst of energy. 

Suddenly, stomach rumbles were heard throughout the classroom as many students turned towards the noise. 

Koko paled as his stomach rumbled louder. 

"Koko, what's wrong?" Anna asked as she rushed to his side. 

The mind reader clutched his stomach. "I don't feel so good." 

"But, how can this be?! The expected failure was suppose to be fainting and not gaining consciousness for three days." The pink haired chef blurted out as her mind raced back and forth, trying to find an answer. 

"Unless . . . ." She finished in her head as her face paled as well. "Oh, no, Koko, we better get you to a washroom." 

People cleared a pathway as the couple headed quickly out the door. 

Moments of silence passed as many people continued to watch the door, some with worried faces and some with amused faces, one of those amused faces including Mikan. 

"Wow." She said as she giggled, turning to Hotaru. "I can't believe Anna made him drink that tea because she has pictures of him in footy pajamas." 

The blackmailer's amethyst eyes shone brightly at this comment, bringing another giggle to the brunette's throat. 

"Oh, Hotaru." She said before taking her seat, a smile still plastered on her face. 

Her smile quickly disappeared as a certain raven-haired boy stepped into the room, casually walking to his seat while peering at her. 

Glaring, Mikan rolled her eyes and looked out the window, watching and counting the birds in the sky. 

"Oi, Polka dots." His called, forcing her turn around. 

"What do you want, Hyuuga?" She asked coldly. 

" I just wanted to say that what the hag said yesterday was a complete l-" He stared intently into her chocolate brown eyes until a figure jumped at him. 

"Natsume." The blonde squealed as Natsume tried to force her off. 

"Why didn't you come last night?" Luna asked innocently. Yet, she was loud enough to capture the attentions of all the students in the vicinity. 

Unconsciously, Mikan's eyebrow twitched at this question, though thankfully this went unnoticed by all except the blonde haired girl, who gave a silent and triumphant smirk at the reaction. 

But before Natsume could retort back, the classroom door flew open as a blonde haired teacher came bouncing in. 

"Okay, class has started." Narumi-sensei san happily as students from all around took their seats. 

"Tch." Natsume growled, an unsatisfied look upon his face as he also turned towards his seat. 

As class started, Natsume looked out, thinking of a plan. 

He needed to talk to Mikan alone and without any interruptions especially from that Luna girl. Damn, she was troublesome. 

Ripping a scrap piece of paper, he quickly scribbled something on top before stuffing it into his pocket. For the rest of the class, he stared out the window, reminiscing about the past. 

* * *

The bell rang as the students stood up and stretched. Classes before lunch always seemed to be so much longer. 

"Neh, Anna, where is Koko?" The brunette asked as all of their friends made their way to the cafeteria. 

The pink haired girl gave her friend a concern look. "I think he's still in the washroom. I can't believe those ingredients ended up forming a laxative." 

Giggling at the remembrance of the scene, Mikan looked away before replying. "Are you sure you didn't just put a laxative in there?" 

Anna thought for a moment before a frustrated look appeared on her face. "I'm not sure. There were too many ingredients." 

Giggling once more, Mikan patted Anna's shoulder in comfort. "Come on, he'll be alright. Let's go get some food." 

Anna nodded as they all hurried to the cafeteria. 

* * *

The mind reader sighed in relief as he exited the washroom. Finally, he was feeling like himself again. 

"I hope Anna never makes this kind of mistake again." He said to himself as he stalked off to the cafeteria, now hungry. 

"Well, well. What do we have here?" A voice said as Koko turned the corner. 

Recognizing the voice, the mid reader jumped back. 

"Luna." He said as the blonde haired girl came into view. 

Reading her mind, he gasped once again. "I know what you're planning and I won't do it." 

The girl smirked as she approached him. "My, my. The Mind Reading Alice is handy indeed. Now, why don't you go fulfill my wish." 

Her eyes gave off a weird glint as his face became blank. 

* * *

"Koko, are you all right, honey?" Anna jumped up to hug the mind reader. 

Gasping for air from the tight hug, the mind reader did his best to reply. "Anna, you're choking me." 

"Oh, sorry." She said as a pink tint decorated her face. 

The mind reader smiled his familiar smile. "it's alright. Anyways, I'm going to go get some food now. Hey, Mikan, you want a refill on that drink, it's empty and only half your lunch is done." 

The brunette smiled brightly at his kindness as she handed him her cup. "Sure." 

"Okay, I'll be right back." he said as he picked up the cup and left. 

"Seems like all the laxative is out of his system." The brunette said once Koko was out of earshot. 

"Yep, seems like it." She confirmed cheerfully. 

Mikan smiled once more as she returned to her lunch, happy with the atmosphere at the moment. 

* * *

Humming, the brunette made her way back to her room after class, a content smile on her face. Things were finally looking up. 

Turning her keys, she stepped inside her quarters, nearly stepping on the piece of paper that was slid through her door. 

She picked it up, looking at it curiously before reading it. 

_Polka dots, _

_Meet me where we fought Persona. We need to talk and don't tell anyone. _

Landing on her bed, Mikan stared gratefully at the piece of paper. Finally, everything will be back to normal. 

* * *

The silence of the woods seemed to haunt him as his foot landed on a twig, breaking the silence. 

He looked around the place, noticing that the grass had grown back to the way it was and the trees were straightened. Though char marks were still visible, everything looked peaceful and quiet, just like it should be. 

Suddenly, he stiffened as he felt a familiar presence. 

"Come out." He commanded, not a shred of emotion in his voice. 

Stepping out of the shadows, the blonde smirked, revealing her true colours. 

"Aren't we a sharp one." She said sarcastically. 

"What are you ding here? If you're here to control me again then it won't work." The raven-haired boy growled while backing away from the witch. 

Smirking even more, the blonde ran towards him, appearing as if she was going to attack. 

Skillfully dodging it, he jumped away from her, giving her an odd look. "You call that an attack?" 

Holding out her fist, she retort. "No, actually, I call it borrowing." 

She opened her hand, revealing the pendant necklace that Mikan dropped on that fateful day. 

His eyes grew wide as his growl deepened. 

"Now, Natsume, you'll have to listen now." She said in a hypnotizing tone as the raven-haired boy's face lost all trace of anger. 

* * *

"Natsume." Mikan called out as she arrived at the place. 

Sunlight peeked through as the distant whistling of birds were heard. Everything seemed so comforting. From the swaying of the leaves to the rustling in the bush over there. 

Wait, what? The brunette turned towards the bush, expecting to see a rabbit leap out or something. What she got was much worse. 

As if on instinct, she jumped back, landing on her feet. 

She looked at where she once stood, now cratered by the foot in the center. 

Her eyes widened with shock as she saw who it was. 

"Natsume." She gasped as he peered at her with emotionless, crimson eyes.

But before the brunette could even get over her shock, he charged at her once more, attempting a punch. 

Skillfully catching his fist in one hand, a tear rolled down her cheek as she caught his second fist. 

"Natsume, why are you doing this? What's wrong with you?" She asked as she continued to grip his fists. 

Not answering, the raven-haired boy jumped back, landing on a knee. 

"Natsume, answer me." The brunette ordered, desperate for an answer as the lad tried to attack her again, though this time it was a kick directed at her side. 

Catching it, Mikan jumped into the air, taking Natsume with her. She threw him up, forcing him into a vulnerable position as she kicked him down, landing on the ground with a soft thud as he stayed still. 

Landing on the ground as well, Mikan rushed towards him, worried that she had went too hard on him. 

"Natsume, are you okay?" She asked when she noticed he was still conscious. 

She gasped aloud when she noticed the missing glint in his eyes. 

Piecing together the evidence in her head, her eyes grew wide with realization. 

"It can't be." Mikan concluded in her head. That was when she felt another presence near by. 

"Oh, yes it can." The voice confirmed as she stepped out of the shadows, revealing her midnight blue eyes. 

"Luna." The brunette gave a small glare as she ducked from Natsume's kick. 

Turning her attention back to the boy, she looked at him with pleading eyes. 

"Natsume, you have to snap out of it." She reasoned as she blocked another punch. 

Obviously failing, Mikan flipped back, landing a safe distance that separated the two. 

She concentrated, trying to activate her Alice as the raven haired boy charged at her. 

She expected him to stop but instead he knocked her to the ground. 

She breathed hard, having landed on her back with a giant thud. Struggling to stand up, her mind raced back and forth. Why didn't Natsume stop? 

She tried to activate her Alice, only now discovering that it didn't work. What was going on? 

Suddenly, her eyes flashed in alarm as she realized. She turned her head towards the blonde, who was leaning against a tree as she enjoyed the show. 

"What did you do to my Alice?" The brunette asked interrogatively. 

In reply, the blonde laughed triumphantly. "Did you just notice, you pathetic wannabe? I don't understand why you're even a special star when you're so slow. I got that mind reader to put a chemical in your drink that disables your Nullification Alice for 24 hours." 

"You hypnotized Koko?!" The brunette exclaimed, shocked at how low the blonde would go. 

"Well, I couldn't get close to you for obvious reasons and Natsume-kun was wearing that annoying necklace you dropped for him so I got that brat to do it. Plus, I had him read Natsume-kun's mind to see where and when you were meeting. He was pretty handy, I have to admit that fact. Maybe after, I'll use him to break up with that pink haired girl. She's a pretty big fan of yours, isn't she?" Luna examined her nails as she explained this as casually as possible before revealing the pendant in her hand. 

Mikan's expression darkened at the mention of Anna. "What are you aiming for, Koizumi?" 

The blonde turned towards her, her features now replaced by an angry look. "Don't say my name with that filthy tongue of yours! And what do I want? How can you ask that? It should be, what do I deserve. Look at you, you're not even pretty compared to me and you're only known for that idiotic smile you always carry on your face. I, on the other hand, am actually beautiful and can do everything you do ten times better and yet, you're more popular than me in the celebrity world as well as here. Why do you have all of this while I obviously deserve more it than you. It's just not fair!!" 

Mikan's face pulled up into a wise look. "I admit you are pretty but I don't compare looks and looks are everything in a celebrity. You may also be able to do everything better than me in this area but I am someone who has the evidence to prove it while you just started on your journey. I may only be known for my idiotic smile but with that attitude, you definitely cannot make it big, especially if you always expect to turn out on top. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is fame." 

The blonde turned ugly at the advice. Oh, how she hated being corrected by such a wannabe. "You may have more experience than me but that doesn't mean you're right." 

Mikan replied with a strange look at Luna's comment. It made no sense at all. 

Noticing this, the blonde growled before turning her attention towards Natsume who had stopped due to no command. "Natsume-kun, finish that girl off." 

The emotionless crimson eyed boy jumped into the air, blinding Mikan momentarily before aiming a hard kick towards her, which left another crater in the ground. 

"What are you going to do now, Sakura? You don't have your Alice anymore. I'd love to see you fight your way out of this." The blonde laughed as she watched the brunette dodge more attacks. 

Suddenly, Mikan smirked, catching the attention of Luna as her face formed a curious look. 

"What are you smirking about? You're about to lose so whatever you come up with, it won't work." Luna warned as she straightened firmly. 

Natsume directed a kick to her side as she caught it, leaving her open on the other side. Fortunately, Mikan caught that leg too before it hit her. 

Holding his legs tightly, Mikan started to spin on the spot, accelerating before flinging him away, slamming him to the ground because he couldn't catch himself in time. 

The brunette started for the blonde as she screamed for her puppet to get up. 

"It's no use. Natsume can't move because my Alice has bound him." She said as she continued to step closer. 

"What are you talking about? I disabled your Alice and Nullification can't form a bind." The blonde screamed as she took a step back. 

Her chocolate brown eyes darkening dangerously, she gave a knowing smirk. "Yes, you disabled my Nullification but I have more than one Alice, which not many people know about. Right now, my copied Barrier Alice is binding him." 

"Copied?" She squeaked as she backed away further, only to connect her back to the trunk of the tree. 

"Yes, actually my Alice gives me the ability to copy or steals one's Alice. And one of those Alices include Teleportation." The starlet exclaimed until she was a meter from the blonde. 

But before Luna could even ask, Mikan snapped her fingers, activating her Alice and dropping the stolen pendant back into the hands of its rightful owner. 

"What the?" She nearly screamed in shock as the object left her hand. 

Clutching the necklace firmly, the brunette headed towards Natsume who was still struggling from his bonds. 

Her eyes now filled with concern, she placed the necklace around his neck, loosening his bonds as she watched the stone take affect. 

The glint returned to his eyes as he quickly sat up, breathing hard but fully aware of the situation they were in. 

"Mikan." He gasped quietly as his breath returned to normal. 

"Natsume, you're back." Mikan whispered with relief as a tear fell from her eyes. 

"Missed me, polka dots?" He smirked as he wiped the tear away. 

Playfully glaring at him in response, she helped him get up. 

Both of them turned their attention towards Luna, who, at this moment was cowering in fear. 

"Now, what to do with you?" Natsume's expression darkened as he lit a fire ball. 

Throwing it, he aimed the flame at the tree, nearly missing the blonde who did her best to dodge. 

Unfortunately, her reaction was too slow, her hair catching on fire as a result. 

Running around and screaming for someone to save her, Natsume watched with a smirk while Mikan watched with pity. 

"Natsume, I think that's a little too mean." She said as she noticed Natsume breathing a little harder. 

"You're going to have to put the fire out yourself since I'm wearing your Alice stone right now. it took a lot of strength for me to even start that fire. It's out of control now." He confirmed with a shrug as his crimson eyes followed the screeching figure. 

With another snap of her finger, water poured out of nowhere onto Luna's head putting out the fire as well as doing something unexpected. 

The couple watched in amazement and shock as the blonde started to melt on the spot. 

"Oh, no! It's happening! I'm melting! I'm melting!" She screeched in panic until she was a complete puddle on the ground. 

"Um, what just happened?" Mikan asked, dumbfounded by this turn of events. 

That was when they both sensed the presence rustling in the bushes, turning towards the sound as they both prepared themselves. 

They both relaxed again when it turned out to be their friends who ran towards them, their eyes filled with concern. 

"Oh my goodness, are you alright?" The pink haired girl squealed in concern. 

"Yes, Anna, we're alright. By the way, what are you all doing here?" She asked curiously. 

"Actually, we haven't seen you, Natsume or Luna in a while so we figured something must have happened. Hotaru tracked you down immediately and also we have an interesting bit of info about Koizumi-san, though I think you already found out." The blonde haired boy answered as he gestured towards the puddle. 

"Yeah, actually, what's up with that?" Mikan questioned as her eyes fell on the puddle as well. 

The amethyst eyed blackmailer started to scoop the puddle into the bucket as she explained. "According to Academy records, Luna's Alice doesn't affect her lifespan. Instead, it affects her vulnerability to water. In other words, when she comes into contact with water, she melts depending on how much she has used her Alice as well as how much water. In comparison, she's like another Wicked Witch of the West." 

Mikan snickered at the comparison as well as a few of her other friends. 

"Wait a moment." The mind reader interrupted, a confused look etched upon his features. "If she melts because of water then why didn't she melt when that kid dunked that bucket of water on her head?" 

Everyone faced the amethyst eyed blackmailer as they all waited for an answer. 

"Actually, that wasn't just makeup." The inventor clarified as everyone shuddered in disgust. 

"Come on, it's almost dinner time and we still need to drop Koizumi-san off at the hospital. We should get going." The class president said as he looked upon his watch. 

The rest of their friends nodded, leaving the forest with the bucket of Luna. All that remained was Mikan and Natsume. 

Moments of awkward silence passed as Mikan waited for Natsume to say something. When he didn't, she broke the silence herself. 

"Well, I should get going now. I'm pretty hungry myself." She said nonchalantly as she turned on her heel. 

"Wait. Isn't there some you like to say? Now, that you know the truth that I really didn't cheat on you, you should at least apologize." The raven haired boy said as he stared at her back intently. 

The brunette turned around, not knowing whether to continue walking or just kick his butt right there. "Fine, I apologize for not knowing the truth and for not letting you explain." 

She started to walk away once more, shocking the raven haired boy. 

"Wait a moment. You apologized and you're just going to walk away. I thought . . .I thought . . . " He said as his voice diminished little by little. 

Sighing Mikan turned around once more. 

"Natsume, I forgive you about the whole cheating thing but that doesn't mean I'll return just like that. Forgive me for making this complicated but just because none of this is your fault, it doesn't mean that I'm not hurt. I'm sorry, Natsume." She said before walking away. 

This time he let her as he just watched her retreating figure. 

Silence filled the air as the rustling of the leaves could be heard.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Arigato for reading minna-san. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. I don't have much to say but I would like to thank MikanXNatsumefan101 for the PM about the OC thing, which mean original character. Now, I feel smarter. :)**

**comicworm: That makes me feel a whole lot better. (I happen to be typing this with a lot of sarcasm) **

**Anyways, thanks for reading. Comments, questions, advise, and concerns are more than welcome. Now, its bedtime for me. Good night. **


	30. Chapter 30

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!**_

The crimson-eyed boy sighed as he collapsed on his bed. Tussling his raven colored hair, he turned over on his side until he was facing the jewelry box that was still on his bedside table.

The sun had already set and his curtains drawn. The only light in the room came off the lamp placed on is bedside table, emitting a dim light.

It had been three days since Luna was sent to the hospital and three days since the brunette had finally told him the reason why she wouldn't return just yet. Now that he thought about it, he did have to admit he was being pretty obnoxious about the whole apologizing thing. No wonder she grew angry so easily.

Natsume winced at the remembrance before letting out a giant sigh. Now what?

Ever since she just left him there standing in the forest, he had been thinking. Thinking of ways to get her back and ensure his success as well as something that would not ruin his facade. The last thing he needed was for girls to start cooing every time they saw him. But no matter what he tried to think of, his mind always went blank. There was no such solution. Mikan already knew everything so there was no point in just sitting down and talking. And if he did have to lower his pride for the sake of his love, then all he could think of were roses, chocolates and a poem. Like hell he would do something as corny as that.

The crimson-eyed boy sighed. Maybe something would come to him tomorrow.

* * *

None, zilch, kaput, zero, nothing.

The raven-haired boy racked his brains even as he took his seat in his classroom.

Even though the day had only just started, the flame caster felt like his head was going to explode and this was very unusual, especially for a special star student like him. He excelled in school, in athletics, missions and other skills so why was it so hard to figure out a plan that could win one girl.

'_But then again, polka dots was never a normal girl to begin with.'_ He thought as he leaned his head back.

Moments passed as the chatter in the classroom grew louder, though it didn't hinder Natsume's concentration one bit.

He did, however, snap back to reality as the classroom door opened just as the bell rang, revealing a certain blonde haired teacher as he jumped in rather happily.

"Ohayo, class." He said in his usual cheery voice as Natsume rolled his eyes.

"Just a reminder, the talent show is in a couple of days, so for those who've signed up, practice hard because there will be judges even though there is no competition. Also, because the talent show is so near, the higher ups have decided to give everyone the next two days off. So, this is a free class, enjoy!" The violet-eyed teacher said as he jumped back out the door just as happily.

In the back, the crimson-eyed boy stared wide with shock as the perfect idea came into his mind. Automatically, he turned his head around as he saw Koko nod towards him, having read his mind just now.

Getting out of his seat, he searched for the necessary people.

If he wanted to make it in time, he would need to rush.

* * *

The cheers grew louder as the stage began to darken and the curtain rose. It was a perfect evening and even the stars decided to watch from above. At the moment, all students were in the Academy stadium, where the Christmas party was held.

Walking towards the microphone, a blonde haired teacher smiled at the many faces that looked up at him.

"Good evening, everyone. Finally, it's the night we've all been eagerly anticipating. Tonight, we have a fantastic amount of graduating students who will perform for you tonight. There are also 3 judges here to judge as well. But to start this show off, we have asked one of our students to come up here and present since many of you have requested her. Here's, Mikan Sakura." Narumi-sensei announced as he stepped backstage.

Appearing from the side of the stage, the brunette walked towards the center of the stage with a smile on her face and a guitar in her hand. Waving to the crowd of cheering students, she stepped towards the mike.

Even though she was only dressed in printed t-shirt and jean capris, she seemed to shine. Her hair in a high ponytail, making her even more adorable than she already was. In the crowd as well as some backstage, the guys were already drooling, their eyes replaced by hearts. No wonder, since all her clothes were comfortable and body hugging, it showed off her figure to the greatest degree and with the simplest of clothing.

"Hey, everyone. I'm so happy that you requested for me and I'm just as glad to be here. I hope that all of you presenting will do your best tonight as I will also be in the audience, cheering you on. Please enjoy my song." The brunette shouted into the microphone as she started to strum her guitar.

_**I've been driving for an hour  
Just talking to the rain  
You say I've been driving you crazy  
and its keeping you away  
So just give me one good reason  
Tell me why I should stay  
'Cause I don't wanna waste another moment  
in saying things we never meant to say  
And I,**_

_**Take it just a little bit  
I,**_

_**hold my breath and count to ten  
I,**_

_**I've been waiting for a chance to let you in**_

If I just breathe  
Let it fill the space between  
I'll know everything is alright  
Breathe  
Every little piece of me  
You'll see  
Everything is alright  
If I just breathe

Well it's all so overrated  
In not saying how you feel  
So you end up watching chances fade  
And wondering what's real

And I,

_**Give you just a little time  
I,**_

_**Wonder if you realize**_

_**I,  
I've been waiting till I see it in your eyes**_

If I just breathe  
Let it fill the space between  
I'll know everything is alright  
Breathe,  
Every little piece of me  
You'll see  
Everything is alright  
If I just breathe  
Breathe

So I whisper in the dark,  
Hoping you hear me  
Do you hear me?

If I just breathe  
Let it fill the space between  
I'll know everything is alright  
Breathe,  
Every little piece of me  
You'll see  
Everything is alrightEverything is alright if I just breathe

_**Breathe**_

I've been driving for an hour  
Just talking to the rain

The crowd cheered loudly as the brunette waved back at them.

"I hope you enjoy the show." She cheered happily along with the rest of the crowd as she walked off stage, her fans now thundering.

"Arigato Mikan-chan for that wonderful opening." Said a blonde haired teacher as he redirected all their attentions.

The crowd quieted down as he continued. "Now, proceeding with our first act."

* * *

Back stage, a raven-haired boy sighed as he remembered the brunette's performance. Another message, huh? Well two can play at that game.

"Hey, Natsume, are you sure about this?" A blonde haired boy asked as he approached his best friend.

Looking away, the crimson-eyed boy sighed. He has been doing that a lot lately.

"I honestly don't know but this is my last chance. I can't just give up now." He admitted freely to Ruka.

The azure-eyed boy gave a small smile, understanding his friend's feelings. "You'll be okay. We've practiced a lot so it'll be fine."

"Yeah." Natsume agreed.

* * *

In the crowd, a certain brunette cheered. Along with the rest of her friends, she was having a grand time.

She had to admit, she had never actually been a part of the audience throughout the entire show because usually, she was only there to present something or to give a performance of some sort. She never knew it was so much fun to be cheering along with the rest of the crowd when you _were_ a part of the crowd.

Clapping along with the rest of her friends at the performance, she smiled. So far, all the presentations have been fabulous. But then again, what do you expect from the students of Alice Academy. Even the executive of her company was entertained, seeing as he was one of the judges, and he was always a tough nut to crack.

Stepping forth to the mike once again, Narumi-sensei sensei beamed at the crowd while applauding the performance from before.

"Wow, that was one heck of a performance. I never knew you could do that with your nose." The blonde hair teacher chuckled. "Now, our next performance is from a very special student that will be accompanied by his band mates. Together, they will be performing a song. Let's give it up for Natsume Hyuuga."

The crowd grew quiet with shock and surprise at the name. Who would have ever thought that the kuro neko of the school would sign up for a talent show and to sing a song.

As the raven-haired boy walked onto the stage with his friends though, many of the girl population of Alice Academy cheered as they admired him in all of his hotness.

And who wouldn't agree? That boy was simply to die for. Dressed simply, he was wearing a light blue, button up shirt, though the top button was left open, revealing a rather thick metal chain. His sleeves rolled up halfway, the blue brought out his eyes, which seemed even more intent as he scanned the crowd, looking for a certain brunette. As for the rest, he wore simple black dress pants and black dress shoes. Though there was nothing special at all about the outfit, it definitely embellished the person wearing it to the max.

Standing in front of the mike and carrying his bass, Natsume peered at his fellow band mates. At the drums was none other than Ruka, just like when they played with Mikan. Next to him stood Koko, who actually knew how to play the guitar. On his other side was none other than the shy and timid Yuu, who was also needed to play another guitar. All three of them were also a part of the background.

Not saying anything, a guitar started to strum as Natsume started to sing, letting his feelings pour into the microphone before him.

_**I was blown away  
What could I say  
It all seemed to make sense.  
You've taken away everything  
That I can't do without.**_

I try to see the good in life.  
But good things in life are hard to find.  
I'll blow it away, blow it away  
Can we make this something good?

(well I'll try to do it right this time around)  
let's start over,  
I'll try to do it right this time around  
It's not over  
Cause a part of me is dead and in the ground.  
This love is killing me  
But you're the only one  
It's not over.

I've taken all I can takeAnd I cannot wait  
We've wasted too much time  
Being strong and holding on  
Can't let it bring us down

My life with you means everything  
So I won't give up that easily  
I'll blow it away, blow it away  
Can we make this something good?

Cause it's all misunderstood

(Well I'll try to do it right this time around)  
Let's start over,  
I'll try to do it right this time around  
It's not over  
Cause a part of me is dead and in the ground.  
This love is killing me  
But you're the only one  
It's not over.

We can't let this get away  
Let it out, let it out  
Don't get caught up in yourself  
Let it out.

Let's start over  
We'll try to do to it right this time around  
Its not over  
Cause a part of me is dead and in the ground.  
This love is killing me  
But you're the only one  
It's not over.

Lets start over  
Its not over

Yeah yeah  
This love is killing me  
But you're the only one  
It's not over

The crowd cheered thunderously as the guys started to retreat back stage.

Walking away, the raven-haired boy peered at the brunette in the crowd, wondering what her reaction was. His mouth turned up into a smirk as he saw her jaw dropped, a tint of red on her cheeks. Leading his eyes off into the distance, he sent her a secret message before disappearing behind the curtain.

"OH MY GOD!! NATSUME HYUUGA, MARRY ME!!"

"I THOUGHT HE WAS PERFECT BEFORE BUT NOW HE'S JUST AMAZING."

"GO OUT WITH ME, NATSUME-SAMA!!"

The girls in the crowd started to scream as the hearts invaded their eyes.

Somewhere in the crowd, the brunette gave a small growl as her hands clenched into fists by her sides. How come this seems awfully familiar?

"Mikan, calm down." A pink haired girl suggested cautiously as she snapped the girl out of her jealous trance.

"Ehehe. I'll be right back." The brunette informed before darting through the crowd, having caught Natsume's silent message.

"Do you think she had to go to the washroom?" Anna asked Hotaru curiously as she gave a knowing smirk.

* * *

The further she walked from the stadium, the quieter it got until she finally reached a memorable sakura tree.

As expected, Natsume was already standing there, though hidden by the shadows.

Releasing a smile, the brunette darted towards the boy and embraced him.

"I never knew you could sing." She greeted, her arms still around him.

"Shut up, polka." He said as a small tint reached his face.

Thankfully, it was too dark to see.

Moments of silence passed as they stayed in that position. Natsume was the one who broke it.

"So, what will happen to us?" He asked, dropping his facade for once as he peered at the brunette with desperate, crimson eyes.

"What do you think?" She said before leaning higher and catching his lips with hers.

The crimson-eyed boy stared in surprise as the brunette closed her. Before he knew it, he also closed his eyes, snapping out of his thoughts as he responded. All thoughts flew out of their heads as they deepened the kiss, Natsume tightening his grip around her small waist.

After what seemed like a good several minutes, they finally let up for air, both panting and staring into each other's loving eyes.

"I'm sorry for being so difficult, Natsume." Mikan confessed as she leaned her head on his chest.

"Yeah, well, be grateful, because I am never doing that again." The raven-haired boy replied as he unconsciously started stroking Mikan's hair.

Once more, they stayed in that position, each warm in each other's embrace, each safe in one another's arms and both enjoying the moment after what seemed like an eternity.

At the moment, their love was shining brighter that ever.

"Come on, let's go back to the talent show." The brunette said she disconnected the embrace, though their hands were still together.

Nodding, the reunited couple made their way back to the stadium, hand in hand.

* * *

The moon and stars shined brilliantly through the curtains of the room as a certain brunette tossed and turned. It was already really late but she still haven't fallen asleep.

Sighing, her mind played the flashbacks once more, reminiscing the events of the talent show. She was already feeling excited when she went to bed but now, she felt even more hyper. How in the world was she suppose to get any sleep?

Sighing, she climbed out of bed and put on a thin sweater, stepping out of the dormitories to take a refreshing walk and allowing her to clear her mind.

Outside, a slight breeze danced around her as the moonlight shined off her hair, providing a comfortable atmosphere for the brunette as she walked down the pathway to a recently visited sakura tree.

Remembering her reunion with Natsume, she smiled as she sat down, leaning against the tree. Unbeknownst to her, a pair of intent, crimson eyes watched her sit down, having sensed her the moment she walked towards the sakura tree.

"Oi!" A voice said as the brunette gasped, returning to reality.

Mikan quickly looked up, turning to the attention of the voice before finally exhaling, allowing herself to breathe normally once more.

The raven-haired lad jumped down from the branch he was sitting on, landing on his feet with his hands in his pocket.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"Couldn't sleep." The brunette replied simply before scooting over, making room her boyfriend. "Why don't you sit down?"

Complying, Natsume took a seat as comfortable silence overwhelmed them once more.

Suddenly, Mikan thought of a brilliant idea as she stood up, catching the attention of the raven haired boy.

"Neh, Natsume. Dance with me." She ordered as a smile spread across her face.

Natsume gave her a strange look in return as he stayed where he was.

"No." Was all he replied as the brunette pouted.

"Aw, come on, Natsume. It can't hurt." She pleaded as she tried to force him to stand up.

"Hell no." He confirmed once more.

"Please, please, please, please, please, pl-" The brunette clasped her hands together as she began to annoy Natsume.

"Okay, only if you be quiet afterwards." He interrupted as he stood up.

In truth, he didn't just say yes because she was being annoying. She was also being irresistibly adorable, especially with the moonlight highlighting her face. There was no way he could resist.

Feeling him wrap his arms around her waist, she did the same except around his neck. Instinctively, she activated her Alice, just in case one of Hotaru's cameras was crawling around.

Swaying on the spot, the brunette started to hum quietly, the exact same song she sang when they first danced together.

Even after the song, they continued to dance with each other, staying in their embrace once more.

Finally, they stopped, tiredness drifting into Mikan's eyes as she stifled a yawn.

"Come on, let's go back. You need sleep." The raven haired boy suggested as he led his girlfriend back to the dormitories.

* * *

Throughout the next couple months, things could be described as heaven for the couple.

After the talent show, word had spread about the reunion of the two, earning them both a bunch of disappointed and jealous fans from either gender. Even when they stalked through the halls, the boys would glare at the backs of Natsume while girls gave envious stares at Mikan. But both of them disregarded these looks as everything went back to the way it was.

As for Luna, she hasn't healed even to today, forcing her to quit her celebrity hood because she had been missing to many jobs, thus giving her a bad reputation. Yep, she was still a puddle of water.

Mikan, on the other hand, have had great successes since her reunion. Now fueled by the power of love, her amount of fans expanded even further as the brunette did everything to the best of her abilities.

And surprisingly, after Mikan had rehired her raven haired boyfriend as one of her security guards, Mikan's executive scouted Natsume after hearing him sing and wanted to sign him to a recording contract. Unluckily for the executive though, Natsume declined the offer, saying that desperate measures were best saved for desperate times. But the executive was unwilling to let such a splendid opportunity pass so in the end, Natsume ended up signing a modeling contract, to be put into action after he finished school.

Yep, many things happened in those passing months and now, it was finally that time, graduation.

And what a perfect time it was, the sun was out, the birds were chirping and the sky was a magnificent blue. Nothing could be more perfect.

"I can't believe we've officially graduated." The brunette said smiling as she leaned her head on her boyfriend's shoulder.

They were currently sitting under the sakura tree for the last time, reminiscing all they've been through under this tree.

The raven haired boy nodded in response as he kept his eyes closed, trying to block out the sunlight that was peeping through the leaves.

Moments of warm silence settled before Mikan spoke up, shattering the silence as Natsume turned towards her.

"Hey, Natsume, will you ever sing again?" She asked curiously.

"Not unless I have to." He answered as he rolled his eyes.

This must've been like the hundredth time she has asked.

"Fine, but will you ever do something like that again? You know, something so heart warming and outrageous." She asked, now even more curious than ever.

The raven haired boy smirked, a weird glint in his eyes. "Are you sure you want me to do something like that again? You might regret it."

Eyeing him suspiciously, the brunette asked. "What do you have in mind?"

"Just answer the question." He retorted.

"Fine. Then, yes I would want you to do something like that again and I definitely won't regret it." She answered confidently.

His smirk grew wider as he pulled the starlet to her feet.

"Now, close your eyes." He ordered, that smirk still on his face.

Mikan eyed him suspiciously once more before obeying his command. She had no idea what was going on since all she heard was shuffling but when she felt something on the fourth finger of her left hand, her eyes darted open, wide with surprise.

On her finger was a thin, white gold band that fit her perfectly. Little pink gems decorated all around the band, forming tiny and delicate sakura petals. In the middle of the ring was a small, gold crystal that was carved into a full sakura. It was simple yet creative and very beautiful.

Before her, the raven haired boy looked away, embarrassment evident on his face.

"Natsume." Was all she was able to mumble as she tried to get over her shock.

He peered at her, doing his best to act as collected as he could. "You don't have to agree now."

That was when Mikan snapped out of her shock. Holding the ring close to her, she looked at him with loving eyes.

"Yes." She replied as his eyes grew wide.

She flung herself at him, nearly knocking him over as she smiled at him.

"I love you." Was all she said as she embraced him.

At the moment, she felt like the happiest woman alive.

That was when they both felt the snickering presences in the bush.

Revealing themselves, all their friends appeared, each with a smile on their face and happiness in their eyes. Yep, even Hotaru, though she only gave a small smile and the camera was covering her eyes but it was still obvious that she was happy for her best friend.

"This will be perfect footage for the wedding." She said as all their friends agreed with her.

Beside her, Natsume turned away with embarrassment as the brunette giggled. "Oh, Hotaru."

Truly, nothing could be more perfect.

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**Arigato for reading minna-san. And no, this is not the last chapter, the next one is. Haha, sorry to burst you bubble especially for those who wants this story to end as quickly as possible. Besides, I did say I would warn you the chapter before so this one is definitely not it. **

**Anyways, beacause the next chapter is the last, I was wondering if there were any questions regarding this story, which I will reply in the last chapter. **

**Sigh, I can't believe I'm almost at the end already. It seems only like yesterday that I just started. Anyways, once more, arigato for reading and of course, comments, questions, concerns, and advise are more than welcome.**

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	31. Chapter 31

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. Enjoy!!**_

_**3 years later**_

_Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggg!!_

A hand flew from under the cover as it smashed her alarm clock off. Sitting up, the brunette rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, brushing her bangs out of the way as she peered around the room.

Once again it was morning, the sun peeping through the curtains of the master bedroom. Everything within was neat and tidy, tucked away in its proper place.

Realizing her surroundings, she looked beside her at the still sleeping raven-haired man. Despite his looks and attitude, he was a very heavy sleeper. But then again, no wonder. She did have him running around last night when she wanted pickled flavored howalons.

Still staring at the sleeping figure besides her, her smile grew wider as she patted her belly. _'Your daddy spoils you so much.'_

Her head shot up as she remembered the time. If they didn't hurry, they would be late.

Facing her husband once again, the brunette shook him gently by the shoulders.

"Come on, Natsume, you have to get up. We have an interview." She said softly as the man started to stir.

"You go first, I'll go after." Was all he replied before nodding back off to sleep.

Rolling her eyes and heaving an impatient sigh, the brunette removed the covers from herself as she got up.

Making her way to their bathroom, she began to contemplate the day's events.

Since the doctor had advised her to take it easy, half of her work had been cut so she hadn't starred in any movies as well as refused a couple of job offers so she wouldn't be overworked and stressed. Still, she couldn't abandon music so she spent much of her time in a recording studio, writing songs as well as help produce music for some other and newer artists. And of course, she did many photo shoots, though many of them involving Natsume.

Ever since he debuted as a model, he was a big hit, in Japan as well as some other countries. Heck, he would have been international if he was a little more cooperative, especially with female models. But since he refused to appear in picture with any other female besides Mikan, his modeling jobs were restricted, even if it was just a little. And yes, as expected, he drove the whole female population of Japan crazy when he first debuted. Of course, some of that died down when they discovered he was engaged, since he was wearing a ring in his first photo, shattering the hopes and dreams of the many girls that had fallen in love with him.

Still, they loved him to bits and many of them could not complain about his choice since the couple suited one another, and everyone saw that, whether in real life or through the media.

Smiling at the many flashbacks, she finished her morning routine and opened the bathroom door, staring at the raven-haired man before her.

Smirking, the crimson-eyed man was already dressed, clad in a white button up shirt and black pants. Around his neck was the pendant necklace she had given him years before and on his finger, his wedding ring.

Gaping at him and admiring him from the distance, his smirk only grew as he said to her. "I know you would like to stare at me even longer but you might want to hurry and get dressed, fatty."

She flushed in embarrassment as a fist appeared in front of her. "Who are you calling fatty? You're the one who impregnated me. Besides, I don't even have a baby bump yet."

Natsume scratched the back of his head as he sighed impatiently. "Just hurry up."

The crimson-eyed man left the room as the brunette stalked into the closet, picking out her outfit.

Since she would need to change once she got to the studio, there was no point in dressing fancy. So in the end, the brunette chose a body-hugging, white strapped sundress that ended a little below her knees, ruffling widely at the bottom as it angled downwards in the back. On top, she chose a thin, pink bolero and a white sunhat with a canary yellow ribbon. Around her neck was the necklace that Natsume had given to her ages ago and on her ring finger, the engagement ring he had proposed with. Slipping on a pair of white sandals, she checked her reflection as she combed her hair into place, each strand falling perfectly into order. Now, she was ready.

Gathering her things and exiting her room with a smile on her face, she headed towards their living room, knowing that her husband was already there waiting for her.

The moment she entered, he looked up at her from the couch, his eyes growing wide as he just stared at her.

This time, she was the one who smirked.

"You better hurry." She said lightly, provoking him to no end as he gave a light growl.

Together, they headed out the front door of their house, locking the door in place.

In reality, many people would have thought that the couple would buy a mansion after their marriage but since Natsume had complained about too much space to fill, they decided on a house. Sure, it was big, but not as big as a mansion. Plus, mansions didn't give off that homey feeling, another thing that bugged the hell out of Natsume.

From either side, the couple got into a sleek, black convertible, zooming away as they headed to their interview.

* * *

The sun shining bright, the brunette got out of the car, waving to the zealous fans that were at the front of the studio to greet her.

Natsume's fans were there too but he completely ignored them as the couple made their way into the studio, the fans blocked out by the numerous amount of security guards.

Quickly, staff members rushed the brunette into hair and make up, leaving the raven-haired man to follow since he didn't need such things.

Heading into her changing room, she discovered that her manager was already there, preparing the necessary equipment as the brunette changed.

"Hey, Hotaru." Mikan greeted as she changed into a red, spaghetti strapped gown. The dress, itself, was stunning. It was a classic cocktail dress that ended in the knee. All over, the dress was gathered into vertical lines, hugging her body even more closely while still keeping it conservative. Placing a pair of red heels on her feet, she sat down in front of the make up table, keeping the necklace and ring where they were before.

The amethyst-eyed woman started to work as she combed the brunette hair back into place, straightening the back so it didn't curl at the tip. Meanwhile, the starlet applied the necessary make up on herself, including mascara, a tint of blush and colored lip-gloss, setting her looks to perfection.

Adjusting her ring and necklace, she waited patiently for her friend to finish, looking at her friend through the mirror.

Surprisingly, even after they graduated, Hotaru had stuck with being the brunette's manager, now having even more time since she didn't have school. Also, a year after she and Natsume were married, Ruka had proposed to the raven-haired woman, for once seeing her smile as she replied.

As for Ruka, the azure-eyed boy ended up becoming Natsume's manager, as surprising as that seems. But then again, he only accepted the offer when the stubborn raven-haired boy refused to have some stranger manage his life, plus most of the applicants were female. You can probably guess what they really want. Anyways, in the end, it didn't matter that the blonde haired boy was Natsume's last option. Either way, the azure-eyed boy was doing a marvelous job, since he knew his best friend and the things he preferred.

"There, I'm done." The amethyst eyed manager notified as the brunette snapped back to reality and out of her thoughts.

Smiling at her best friend, she stood up and headed to the door. "Thanks, Hotaru."

Outside, Natsume was leaning against the wall as he waited patiently for his wife.

His eyes closed, he tried to get a few moments rest in the silent hallway. Last night -as well as many other night- really tuckered him out, pushing him to his limit as he complied to her much needed demands of food.

He had just drifted off to sleep when he heard the door clink open before him.

"Natsume, what are you doing?" She asked as he rubbed his sleepy eyes.

Not answering, the couple made their way to the back of the stage as the raven haired manager disappeared from view, a video camera already in hand. Looks like she was going to be in the audience like always, taping the interview for future references.

"You ready, Natsume?" She asked with a smile, as she placed her hand in his.

"Hn." The raven-haired man replied as he kept his hand in hers.

Suddenly, a staff member came running up to them, a clipboard in hand.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hyuuga, you're on in five minutes." He said before he ran away once again.

* * *

The velvety red curtain raised as the spotlight shone upon a man sitting professionally poised. Already, the crowd was cheering happily as the camera zoomed in on the man.

"Hello and welcome to Japan in a Can, the one show that brings you the latest truth of celebrity gossip. My name is Tashima Ryou, formally known as Dj Rewind of the Ohayo Afternoon! show. Today, we have very special guests here with us. Please welcome Mikan Sakura Hyuuga and her husband, Natsume Hyuuga." The man welcomed as he directed the audience's attention to the side of the stage.

The couple walked out hand in hand as the crowd cheered thunderously. Mikan waved at the crowd as well as the camera while Natsume just stared at the viewers, still leading his wife to some couches.

Once the two were settled and the crowd was as silent as it could possibly get, the host turned and faced the two, flashing each a welcoming smile.

"Welcome." He greeted.

"Hello." Mikan greeted in return, a big smile on her face.

The raven-haired man just gave a curt nod, his features softening a bit while still remaining apathetic.

"You're looking as lovely as ever Mrs. Mikan Hyuuga. I'm so happy for you and your future baby." He started politely.

"Thank you. I'm very happy myself." She thanked as her smile grew bigger.

"So have you decided what you will name your child?" He questioned curiously as the audience leaned in, anticipating an answer.

"If it's a girl, Natsuke and if it's a boy, Natsume Jr." She replied, giggling at her response.

Beside her, the crimson-eyed man's eyebrow rose as he gave her a queer look. As if he would name his future son Natsume Jr.

"Why would you want to do that, Polka dots?" He scoffed.

"Hey, Natsuke is a cute name. Natsume Jr. was something I just thought of at the top of my head. If you think you can do better than why don't you think of one?" The brunette challenged as the host laughed in enjoyment.

The raven-haired man gave a light growl as he smirk, accepting the challenge. "Fine, I will. How about Ichigo, one of your favourites?"

The brunette flushed at the secret meaning. She couldn't believe that pervert would bring up such a thing on live TV.

"Shut up! Besides, Ichigo is a girl's name." She retorted, not looking at her husband.

"Actually it can also be a boy's name." The host interrupted as the he pointed this out.

The raven-haired man smirked even further, silently reveling in his little victory as the brunette flushed even further, pouting because she had lost.

"Fine, but I will not name my child Ichigo, and that's final." The brunette put her foot down as everyone gave a small chuckle at the woman's childishness.

"Well, whatever you name your child, I wish you both the best of luck in your journey to parenthood." The host smiled as the couple nodded in gratitude.

" Now, because of your pregnancy you obviously can't overdo your work or else something bad might happen. Are you okay with that? I mean, how does this affect you and your career and reputation and so forth?" The host asked smartly as the brunette nodded in understanding.

"Well, now I obviously have a lot more time on my hands and I'm definitely grateful that I have more time to look after myself and catch up on some personal things. As for its affects on my career, I don't think it will affect it a great deal because I know I have loving and loyal fans out there. And my reputation, I don't think I have one and if I did then I think they'll understand. Of course, I do miss and regret not doing some of these things but I'm hoping I'll be able to catch up afterwards." The starlet smiled towards the crowd and camera.

The host smiled once more, satisfied with her answer. "Now, Natsume Hyuuga, you, obviously, have not been in this business as long as your wife has. So how did it feel when you first debuted as a model and is now suddenly receiving all this attention. How about being married to such a famous celebrity, since the magazines went on and on about it for weeks after the media found out about your engagement?"

Facing the host, the crimson-eyed boy thought for a moment before replying. "Personally, I admit I was somewhat shocked at the amount of attention, but then after a while, I just got annoyed. I shouldn't be admitting this, but yes it was starting to get annoying since it was like a bigger version of my school. But still, a job is a job and that's the sacrifice for the paycheck I get. As for getting married to Polka dots over here, obviously if I married her I wouldn't care if she even was a celebrity. The paparazzi can speak all the crap they want, I really don't give a rat's ass."

Mikan frowned for a second at her name but then smiled once again at his reply. She had to admit, 3 years of stardom and her continuous lectures had caused Natsume to open up more. Though it was still vague, the answers he gave to the media were just enough to keep people hanging and just enough to give people a bit of an insight on his life. But for some reason, he had a tendency to end most of his little speeches to the media in swear words. That was something he needed to fix since not all his fans are as old.

"Um, Mr. Hyuuga, please watch your language for a bit since we do have little children attending this show and kids viewing this at home." The host pleaded as he interrupted Mikan's thoughts.

"Hn." He answered in agreement as he reverted back into his high school self.

"Let's move on." The host suggested. "Now, Mrs. Hyuuga, since you have been taking a break from some of your regular jobs, I've heard that you have been producing some songs for newer artists and all of those songs have been big hits. Since you have been in this business for a long time, what would you advise to the newer celebrities that are just starting out? What is the secret to your stardom that fuels your efforts in your career?"

Thinking back, the brunette tried to figure out the answer as flashbacks of her celebrity life, high school and more appeared in her head. Moments of silence passed as everyone waited for an answer, many eager for the answer to Mikan Sakura's stardom.

Finally the brunette returned to reality, her face forming a smile as she began. "There is no secret to my stardom. Everything I do is fueled by the feelings I harbor inside me. I guess that's the advice I would give to newer celebrities. No matter what you do, whether jobs or daily life, your effort and abilities show through the feelings you have. Anger, hatred and jealousy are just as important as love and friendship but these feelings shouldn't be fueling your efforts all the time or else it would all go to waste. So in the end, you'll be working through your feelings which is basically what a celebrity or artist is, using their feelings to inspire others."

Silence passed as the audience and host stared at the brunette in awe.

"Wow. " Was all the Tashima Ryou could say before he continued, finally snapping out of his shock. "I have asked that question many times to other celebrities. You know how hard it is to find someone with just as much experience as you and still be pure and innocent after all these years."

"Thank you." The starlet blushed as people started to clap.

Moments later, when the clapping finally died down, the host stood up from his spot and smiled. "Well, it's almost the end of our show and I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Hyuuga for joining me today for this interview. But don't get out of your seats just yet people, for we have a special performance for you by none other than Mikan Sakura Hyuuga, who will be singing for us her new single, I Believe."

The crowd gave a thunderous applause as the stage they stood on began to rotate, revealing another stage where instruments were already set up.

Appearing from the side, the brunette entered once again before taking her place at the mike.

She stared at the audience before her, spotting Hotaru's camera as well as Ruka's blonde hair through the spotlights. Smiling at the camera, the music began to play behind her as the brunette let her joyful feelings resonate into the room.

_**I feel the heat around me  
**__**I feel the beat surrounds me  
Could this be for real, I wonder  
No need for hesitation  
It's time for celebration  
Will this be the night I've waited for**_

The brunette put her hands in front of her as images of the past flashed before her eyes. Images of when she first met Natsume and wondered who he was. The day she disguised herself and first stepped into the classroom and the scandal that started right after. Her happiness rose at the flashbacks of the friends she made as the people in the room rose from their seats, swaying to the music.

**When angels fall in love  
Heaven knows, does it show, oh  
If this love, will last for eternity  
Set me on fire**

Backstage, a crimson-eyed boy watched the brunette sing with her feelings. No matter how many times he hears her sing, he always ends up stunned. Her voice was just so angelic and magical, no matter what song she was singing.

He kept his facade as he continued to watch his wife proudly, his foot tapping silently to the music.

_**  
I believe, I believe in love  
And like the stars above  
They shine, let it shine over me  
Set me free I believe in you  
And that our love is true  
Oh I believe, I believe**_

In the crowd, a amethyst-eyed woman gave a small smile as she continued to film the performance, listening at the same time. Though starlet's performances were usually perfect, this time it was at its best, displaying her abilities as a performer, an artist as well as her potential to be a mother.

At the moment, Mikan's feelings were crystal clear, and strong enough to raise the crowd to their feet. This was the power of Mikan's stardom.

The raven-haired woman continued to film with expertise, that small smile still on her face, unnoticed by all except one.

_**  
**__**I see those people dancing  
Boys and girls romancing  
They want this to last forever**_

**Cause underneath the moonlight  
Everything is alright  
We're reaching our hands up in the air**

Images of the Alice festival threw through the brunette's head. The time Natsume got assigned as her bodyguard and discovered her secret. That was also the first time she was able to walk around the Academy grounds without her disguise on, the first time in a while when she finally felt like herself.

Images of the Last Dance also came into view. How she sang that song when the sound system broke to the dance she shared with Natsume under the sakura tree, their faces lit by the serene moonlight.

**To where the souls alive  
Heaven knows, that it shows oh  
If this love, will last for eternity  
Set me on fire**

Standing in the crowd next to his wife, the azure-eyed man caught the small smile Hotaru was emitting. His smile grew wider as he faced the stage again, staring at the singer who controlled the stage at the moment.

Just like Natsume, he was also awed once again by her voice. Sure, he has heard her sing in practice and in performances, as well as on the radio, but it still stunned him at the emotions one could portray with their voice. No one could do better.

_**I believe, I believe in love  
And like the stars above  
They shine, let it shine over me  
Set me free I believe in you  
And that our love is true  
Oh I believe, I believe**_

Times of sadness and longing passed through her heart as images of her time without Natsume passed through her mind. The thoughts and feelings of when she came back to find him in another girl's arms and the regret she felt when Anna and them had told her the truth behind his behavior. _**  
**_

_**How could I doubt, what was meant to be  
Everything I needed was in front of meYour healing touch, will lift me up in the sky, so high**_

Lastly, images of their graduation passed through her head as her smile grew once again. The joy and happiness she felt when he proposed and the feeling of perfection in her life that settled after.

Another image flashed through, this one making her happiest of all. She had recalled a flashback of when the doctor had told her she was pregnant with Natsume's baby. Of course her husband was there at the time and expression he gave was priceless. A flood of joy filled her heart as it resonated clearly into the mike.

**I believe, I believe in love  
And like the stars above  
They shine, let it shine over me  
Set me free I believe in you  
And that our love is true  
Oh I believe, I believe**

The brunette looked up from the microphone, only to be bombarded by a huge applause. Who knew such a small audience could make so much noise?

Hearing footsteps, the brunette instinctively turned around as a raven-haired man embraced her behind, wrapping his arms around her waist as he turned her around.

His eyes also dancing with joy, they instantly connected at the mouths, gathering further applause as wolf whistles and cheers accompanied it.

When they finally decided to breathe again, they were both panting. Still holding onto her waist, the couple turned around and waved at the crowd, Natsume with joy and excitement in his eyes and Mikan with a beautiful smile.

The brunette moved her waving hand to her stomach, smiling down.

'_I must be the luckiest woman in the world. To be blessed with such a wonderful life, wonderful support from adoring fans, the chance to experience friendship, and a wonderful husband. And now, I'm pregnant.' _

She thought back to the last question of her interview, this time with a real answer. Surely the secret to her stardom and success were not just based on her feelings alone. The efforts and the feelings of others were the ones that had brought forth the Mikan Sakura they all knew. With each passing day she had worked through her feelings, wishing to do her best in everything. So many things have happened and so many things have been contributed to make her life the way it was.

Mikan smiled at her husband before patting her stomach, her eyes still staring at him as he faced her. _'And the result of all that was you.'_

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Arigato for reading minna-san. I hoped you enjoyed this last and final chapter of Stardom Secret. I'm sorry for the late update but since some of your reviews said how much you will miss this fanfic, I decided to let you savour the moment. So, how was it? Haha. No, I'm just kidding. School started again and that's the real reason why. **

**And no, there will be no sequel since they really do live happily ever after. That's why I tried my best to summarize what happened in the past three years without leaving the story. But what I didn't mention was the rest of Mikan's friends, though I think you can all guess since I'm pretty sure I dropped a couple of guides throughout the story. **

**And I'm sorry if you think Natsume is very OOC-heehee- in this chapter, but that guy's a man now. He had to grow up eventually. I got so giddy while typing this fic because now, I can finally use the words, 'husband' and 'wife'. And also, you probably noticed that I've stopped using 'boy' and 'girl' in this chapter. That's because I think you're not fully a man or woman until you've been married once. I know that sounds weird but that's what I think so sue me. XP **

**Credit time. Obviously throughout this story I had many songs and no, I did not write them as many of you have asked. I'm not that much of a genius. :) So here are the titles of the songs. I didn't even choose these songs for the story. The songs chose the story. I know, very confusing but I'll explain anyways cuz I don't want this to end just yet. All of the songs that will be listed below were the songs I was obssessed with during the summer. Combine that with a can of pop, a hot summer day and the inspiration from The Thing Called Love by Ridley Sivlerlake, plus a weird dream, and imagination gone wild, that's how this story came to be. By the way, you should read this story even though it's not complete. It was one of the first fics I read and I'm still craving for more. So, as you can see, the songs pretty much formed the events and storyline of this storyline. And one or two of these songs came later and just miracoulesly fit the story so I had good luck on that. Anyways, I'll just list the songs instead of continuing with my life story . . .er, I mean history of how this fic came to be. **

**On the ride- Aly and Aj**

**Into the rush- Aly and Aj**

**Protecting Me- Aly and Aj**

**Shine- Aly and Aj**

**I think of you- Tata Young**

**Slow Down- Aly and Aj**

**So Small- Carrie Underwood**

**Dear Santa- Beu Sisters**

**Crush on you- Tata Young**

**1000 miles- Vanessa Carlton**

**Did ya think- the Veronicas**

**Breathe- Michelle Branch**

**It's not Over- Chris Daughtry**

**I Believe- Tata Young**

**I didn't mention this last chapter but for Natsume's song, I had another choice before I finally decided. The first, which is It's not Over by Chris Daughtry and the second, I miss you by Gareth Gates. The lyrics suited the situation to a T and I couldn't pick one so I decided to listen to them one at a time and see which one had a bigger affect on me, since these two songs are every different mellodically. When I got to the second song, I miss you by Gareth Gates, I cracked up laughing when I got to 'baby'. If you listen to the song, you'll know what I mean. Seriously, if you want a good laugh, youtube this song or something and just close your eyes and imagine Natsume singing this song on stage in front of people in a white shirt, loose black tie and black pants. That was my image and I still crack up listening to it. But then again, maybe it's just me. I had to choose between a song that's more sentimental and a song that makes me crack up on the spot. You can see which one I chose. **

**Wow, this was a really long author's note. I don't have much more to say so I guess I'll have to end it off about now. Once again, arigato for putting up with me the whole way through. Thank you for the support and comments and so forth. I'm already starting to work on the plot of my next fic so I'll be back anytime but in a different story. Big thank you, and comments, questions, advice for next story, and etc are more than welcome.**

**Love ya lots people, lactose-intolerent.**


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